


Castiel fucking Novak

by TheAuthorGod



Series: Something Profound [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, AU in which you see your soulmate in a special mirror, Hate to Love, Highschool AU, I make sure that each portion comes to a succinct conclusion, I may write more if people are still interested, Love/Hate, M/M, Mirror Mates, POV Alternating, Soulmates, They both curse, i love them, soulmate, truemates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-05
Updated: 2015-01-09
Packaged: 2018-03-05 11:20:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 22,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3118286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAuthorGod/pseuds/TheAuthorGod
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean had never put that much stock in soulmates.  Despite his brother being obsessed with soul matches and most of the world taking to the fanatical about it, Dean never thought it was worth it.  Leave it to Dean to already know his soul match and hate him.  When Castiel fucking Novak popped up in the mirror complete with the word 'fucking', Dean lost all hope that soulmates had any credence.<br/>But maybe the hatred they've been hosting in the electric space between them was never hatred, maybe it's always been something else?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Castiel fucking Novak

**Author's Note:**

> UNBETA'D. UNPROOF'D. All errors are my own.
> 
> I read [flightlesscas'](http://flightlesscas.tumblr.com/) short [fic](http://flightlesscas.tumblr.com/post/82711492596/for-meg-based-off-this-on-deans-eighteenth) on tumblr and fell in love with the idea. This is the love child.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean had never put that much stock in soulmates. Despite his brother being obsessed with soul matches and most of the world taking to the fanatical about it, Dean never thought it was worth it. Leave it Dean to already know his soul match and hate him. When Castiel fucking Novak popped up in the mirror complete with the word 'fucking', Dean lost all hope that soulmates had any credence.  
> But maybe the hatred they've been hosting in the electric space between them was never hatred, maybe it's always been something else?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UNBETA'd. UNPROOF'd. Mistakes are mine characters are not.

Dean had been dreading that day from the beginning of the year. It wasn’t fair that they all had to do the dumb shit at school. It was a personal thing and it should be done at home or privately at least.  
  
“Now, kids; come in and sit where your name is placed.”  
  
And assigned seats only made it worse. Dean scanned the room for his name. A purple sticky note bearing his name was found toward the front of the room near the teacher’s desk. Dean groaned. It only got worse when he saw the name on the desk next to his. Castiel.  
  
Dean was about to switch the sticky note with another desk when the woman, a teacher who specialized in counseling and soulmate bonds, tapped his shoulder.  
  
“Leave the sticky notes alone, Winchester. That is the order that you all were born. It is the best way to utilize the mirror.”  
  
Slumping into his seat, Dean waited for the horror that was the day’s class to begin.  
  
Castiel stood at the door until the last possible minute and Dean both thanked and hated him for it. Castiel was the smartest kid in the class, always had his hand up and always had to be the one to make the grade. Dean wasn’t that far behind him in class rank; but, that didn’t mean that Dean advertised it as much as Castiel.  
  
“Winchester.” Castiel scowled. It wasn’t a secret that they didn’t like each other. They never had liked each other. It was something about the way Castiel said things and how Dean didn’t say things. There was always something electric in the air around them and it was alarming.  
  
They had been paired up on a history project once, ONCE. Their presentation had broken down into a debate between whether the north or south had been better prepared for the Civil War at its outbreak. They got an A because they both knew what they were talking about but most of their knowledge had been demonstrated through shouting.  
  
No teacher had paired them up together since. Except that they have to sit next to each other, on revealing day no less, on the day of the matching.  
  
The teacher took her spot at the front of the room. “Alright, we all know what today is and I know you’re all anxious to see who your soulmate is.” She grinned at the class.  
  
Dean grumbled under his breath. “Lies.”  
  
Castiel seemed to snort in response.  
  
Leveling a glare at the teacher, Dean felt a flicker of pride when her smile faltered when she saw him.  
  
“Mr. Novak, why are you frowning so much? It’s the first day of the rest of your life.”  
  
Dean peeked toward Castiel and found that he was wearing a grimace that may have rivaled Dean’s. Dean was confused. What did Castiel fucking Novak have against all of this; he’s a goody two-shoes after all.  
  
Castiel lifted his chin in some sort of defiance that made Dean roll his eyes. “Why do we have to find out who our soulmate is any way?”  
  
Feeling a bit uneasy since both he and Castiel had the same opinion on the matter, Dean slumped further in his chair and growled. “Because they want to catalogue it and force a future on us.”  
  
The teacher had turned away and begun rummaging through a large canvas bag on her desk.  
  
Castiel glared at her; Dean had felt that laser glare on him before and wondered how the teacher could stand it. “Ugh; this is torture.”  
  
Jo was behind them. She shushed them both. “You may not want to know your soulmate but some of us do.” She hit Dean on the shoulder. “And sit up for crying out loud.”  
  
Huffing, Dean slouched even further.  
  
The teacher turned to the class and made sure not to look in Dean’s direction. “We will start in the back and work our way up to the front. I want to let you all know that it is statistically likely that at least 4 of you already know your soulmate; upbringing and geographic location often are considered factors for soulmate compatibility. Of course, that is still a guess; we don’t know the exact science of all of this.”  
  
Castiel’s hand shot up into the air.  
  
The teacher noticed and chose to ignore it. When she began to walk toward the back corner of the room, Castiel spoke anyway. “If we don’t know the science behind it, how can we trust it?”  
  
Sighing, the teacher turned around to look at Castiel. Jo glared. Dean chuckled.  
  
“It works, Mr. Novak. Please be quiet and stop making a fuss.” She pivoted on her heel and clicked her heels at him.  
  
Castiel turned and crossed his arms. Dean would have thought it childish but Castiel’s face was anything but childish; it was murder written using facial features and shadows.  
  
\---  
  
Dean’s turn came before Castiel’s much to Dean’s dismay. He wanted to watch Castiel fucking Novak suffer. In fact, his pointed glare at Castiel gave away the fact that Castiel was giddy with Dean’s misfortune. Dean wanted to wipe the look off his face.  
  
The teacher glanced at the roster for his name. “Dean, please take the mirror and look into it. I need to take down the name.” She held a clipboard with a list of student names close to her chest. Dean glowered at the mirror in her hand. “Dean, take it.”  
  
Huffing in frustration, Dean took the mirror and closed his eyes. He was not going to make it easy.  
  
She practically growled. “Dean, you are 3rd in your class. You are above this behavior. I don’t care what you do with the knowledge of your soulmate all I care is that I get my job done.” She said it low enough that most of the class couldn’t hear; but, the tense movement to Dean’s right let him know that Castiel had heard her.  
  
The teacher breathed a long sigh. “You are 17 you need to stop acting like a 3-year-old.”  
  
Dean knew that this was getting him nowhere. Swallowing his pride, Dean peeked at the mirror. The image in the mirror swirled and rippled around the eye Dean had opened.  
  
“Both eyes.”  
  
Grimacing, Dean opened his other eye and the image morphed. Dean would have barked out laughing, if it would’ve done any good. It was Castiel fucking Novak. Best part, the name at the bottom literally said Castiel fucking Novak. Part of Dean wanted to screech and holler about how incompatible they were; but, he made the split second decision not to react. It would be much funnier to watch Castiel blow a fuse.  
  
“Oh my.” The teacher stared at the image. “Well, that’s…”  
  
Dean grinned. “May I announce it?” That didn’t mean he was above a good bit of fun.  
  
The teacher turned.  
  
“Verbatim?”  
  
Quickly, the teacher stood and scribbled on the clipboard. “Absolutely not. You would still be penalized for cursing.” She snatched the mirror from Dean and glared at it like it was to blame. The class began to whisper; that had been the point of Dean’s remark, mission success.  
  
Jo tapped Dean’s shoulder. “Care to share with your best cousin?”  
  
Dean shrugged sadly. “Sorry, I’m not allowed to according to school rules, no cursing allowed.” Dean didn’t turn though; he kept his eyes on the mirror. “Besides, soulmates are utter-”  
  
Dean didn’t get to finish the sentence. Castiel finished it for him. “Bull shit!”  
  
“Language, Mr. Novak.”  
  
Glancing at Jo over his shoulder, Dean smirked. “Exactly.”  
  
Jo rolled her eyes. “He’s probably just mad that his girl is some sort of crooked-toothed goody like he is.”  
  
Dean nodded. “Yeah.”  
  
“I mean, that’s the only kind of person that would ever be matched to someone like Castiel Novak.” She spat the last of it.  
  
Usually, Dean was happy when Jo joined in on his bashing-Castiel-fucking-Novak sessions; but, this time was different. She had just insulted Dean through the insult to Castiel.  
  
“He’s probably stuck on the fact that his soulmate is uglier than his mother.”  
  
Castiel whirled around in his chair. “I heard that.”  
  
“Good.” Jo sat back in her chair. “I wanted you to.”  
  
Dean breathed. He wondered how this could turn out. He was one of those ‘lucky’ people who already knew his soulmate. Would it change how he and Castiel treated each other?  
  
Sneaking a glance at Castiel, Dean watched him scribble in his notebook hard enough to tear pages. Dean guessed that it wouldn’t.  
  
\---  
  
He and Castiel were in many of the same classes, AP English Lit, History, AP Calc AB, AP Biology, and PE. Dean waited until the end of the day, math class; to say anything about the matching.  
  
“Hey, uh, Novak?” The other kids had left the room and the teacher was hard-of-hearing on the best of days; so, on the opposite side of the room, their conversation was about as private as it could get.  
  
“This doesn’t change anything. I still hate you.” Castiel paused in his gathering of his things.  
  
Part of Dean felt relieved and the another part felt furious; it was just horrible to be told that even though you were a soul match you weren’t worth anything. Dean wasn’t sure what he would have wanted from the situation but that wasn’t it.  
  
“Good.” His jaw clenched and he felt his fingernails dig into the flesh of his palm. “That means I don’t have to cancel my date with Anna, tonight.” Dean said it mostly to himself.  
  
Castiel jerked upward. “Anna?!?” He looked upset and incredulous tied into a big knot of aggression. “You’re going out with my sister?”  
  
Dean’s mind stopped suddenly. “Red-haired Anna?”  
  
Castiel’s refusal to move and rage painting his face dark pink gave away the answer.  
  
“Sorry, dude. Uh, but, I’m still going on my date.”  
  
“Whatever.”  
  
“Whatever?” Dean’s face scrunched together. “Did you just ‘whatever’ me?”  
  
Castiel placed his hands flat on the desk and pushed his nose into Dean’s face. “What-” he spoke firm, “ever.”  
  
Shaking his head, Dean turned and strode out of the classroom. Why the universe or science or voodoo wanted him with Castiel fucking Novak was beyond him. Maybe it was punishment.  
  
\---  
  
Sitting at the dinner table that evening, Dean was hyperaware of the fact that the slip he had graciously shredded when he got home had let his entire family know that the matching was that day. He swallowed and tried to eat his spaghetti; it was too much pasta on his stomach.  
  
Practice had been laughable. Most of his teammates were hung up of the girls they saw in the mirror. One boy when so far to describe his match that another guy punched him because it turned out he was describing the second guy’s sister. That served no use to Dean; it simply reminded him of his date with Anna.  
  
Dean wasn’t surprised by his soulmate being a guy; in fact, that was the least of his worries. The problem was that he and Castiel fucking Novak hated each other. He hadn’t put much thought into soulmates; in fact, we was of the opinion that it was all utter bullshit. He had never read any of the required readings on it and he had went out of his way to read stories that either break the soul match or leave soul matches out altogether. He read a lot of science fiction because of it. Dean spun the spaghetti on his fork.  
  
“What are you doing tonight, Dean?” Dean’s mom smiled over the salad bowl.  
  
Scowling at the salad bowl for different reasons that usual, Dean averted his mother’s gaze. “I’m going on a date.”  
  
Sam jumped up to attention in his chair. “Is it with your soulmate? Who is she? Is she pretty? Do I know her? Are you going-”  
  
“Sam!” Mary clucked before hissing, “We talked about this in the car.”  
  
Nodding, Sam returned a focused gaze at his dinner plate.  
  
Dean glanced at the empty spot for Dad. He was glad that his dad wasn’t there; working late at the garage or something equally mundane. Dad was usually gone; Dean was scared that today, the day that the universe hated him, he wouldn’t be able to count on his father’s absence. Dean’s father had, while still very supporting of his sons, preferred that Dean do shop instead of art and Sam participate in Mathletes instead of the school play.  
  
“No.” Dean stood and took his plate to the kitchen. He put plastic wrap over his food and slid it into the fridge. “I’ll be back after.” He left through the back door, not wanting to walk back through the dining room.  
  
Dean made his way around to the front of the house. He saw his dad’s headlights to he waited until they turned off and his dad emerged. He cut across the lawn in his mechanic’s coveralls and entered through the front door. Dean made a beeline for his baby and drove away toward the Novak residence, at least whatever the address was that Anna had texted him.  
  
\---  
  
Dean waited patiently for the door to open. When it did, Anna stood back lit and pretty as she was the day before when she had asked him out. She was a bit doe-eyed for Dean’s tastes but, whatever.  
  
Usually, Dean didn’t go out on dates with people; he preferred to go places with the team or just stay at home on the computer. To be honest, he had jumped on the idea of going out with Anna because the matching was so close. It was his own act of defiance against the matching.  
  
Anna smiled. “Any chance that I was in that little mirror, today?”  
  
Dean smirked. “I wouldn’t tell you either way.”  
  
Yells rang out from behind Anna. “What do you mean you’re not going to tell us?” “We are your parents we deserve to know.” “I don’t have to tell you anything. I’m practically 18.”  
  
Dean was mildly interested but Anna closed the door.  
  
“Don’t bother with them; they haven’t shut up all evening”  
  
Part of Dean wanted to listen to Anna and not bother or worry but the other part was doing exactly that. Castiel fucking Novak was going through hell in their because of him, because of Dean.  
  
Dean shrugged it off trying to make himself proud that he could bring Castiel misery without being in the same room. Something about that thought panged rough against Dean’s heart.  
  
“You ready to go?” Anna looked up at him and smiled.  
  
Dean nodded. He led them to the car and opened the passenger door for her.  
  
Anna’s eyes glowed with excitement. “Wow, nice car. 1967 Impala.” She snuggled back into the seats. “Leather seats.”  
  
Getting in on the driver’s side, Dean turned to her. “Yeah, how did you know?”  
  
“I know what leather looks like.”  
  
“I meant the car.”  
  
Anna laughed. “I know you did.” She shrugged. “My brother and I used to make the models together. My dad kept buying them for Michael; but, Michael hated the things. Cas and I used to put them together. I don’t know as much about them as Cas, though. He used to go all out.” She smiled.  
  
Anything could have been better than that. Dean felt the guilt of Castiel being yelled at filter in again through his ears. He shook it away and started the car.  
  
\---  
  
Anna hadn’t worn anything dressy; neither had Dean. They were both pretty casual and it made sense that they were since they were going to a movie.  
  
They stalked up to the ticket booth. Dean dug his hands into his pockets and watched while Anna tried to take his hand that wasn’t there. She glanced down to see that his hands were in his pockets and visibly deflated. She smiled politely anyway.  
  
Dean smiled back. “What movie do you wanna see? How about the new sci-fi thriller? That one.” He took three fast steps to look at a movie poster with a spaceship and some cowboys on the front. Dean had been over the moon when it was announced almost 6 month beforehand.  
  
Anna sighed. “Can’t. How about this one?” She pointed to some sort of horror flick that Dean had absolutely no interest in.  
  
“Can’t? Why not?”  
  
Anna rolled her eyes. “Reasons.” She turned to Dean. “I’ll take that as a no to the horror flick.” She turned and walked to the next movie poster. “Wuss.”  
  
Clearing his throat, Dean responded, “I’m not a wuss; I was just really looking forward to Cowboys versus Aliens. I mean, come on. It has Harrison Ford in it!”  
  
She ignored him and began to study the next one. “What about a rom-com?”  
  
Dean had to admit that while he didn’t like chick flick moments, a rom-com was better than a horror. “What’s it about?”  
  
Digging out her phone, she typed the name into Google. “It’s about two soulmates that hate each other but end up-”  
  
“No.”  
  
“I didn’t even finish the set up.”  
  
Dean shrugged. “I mean, soulmates that hate each other, pshh.” He looked down at his shoes.  
  
Anna didn’t even look at the final movie poster. She glared at Dean while she flicked his arm out to point at it dramatically. “Well, I’m not going to see that one.” The dramatics must have been an inherited trait in the Novak family.  
  
Glancing at the final poster briefly, Dean looked back at her. “Why not? It’s animated. Everyone loves animated movies.”  
  
Sighing heavily, Anna crossed her arms. “It’s a kids’ movie. I did not come out here on a date to watch a kids’ movie.”  
  
Dean looked at her incredulously, the family resemblance was beginning to really show. “No, we came out here to watch a date night movie like Cowboys versus Aliens; but, for some reason, you don’t want to go to it.”  
  
“Date night, Dean. Why not the rom-com?” She glances back down to her phone. “It sounds good. It’s the whole hate-to-love thing. It’s so cute too. It says that they were rivals for the top spot at their law firm. Oh gosh, it’s a lawyer story.”  
  
Keeping his eyes trained on the cement, Dean tried to think of a way to talk his way out of it. He really didn’t want to go to the rom-com.  
  
“Dean, is there something bothering you? You don’t seem like you.” Her feet shifted; that was all Dean could see of her. “You’re not having second thoughts because I’m not your soulmate, are you?”  
  
Dean’s head snapped up. “No, that’s not it; I just, I’m having trouble processing everything that has happened today.” When he saw Anna’s eyes, instead of making him think of Anna and rid Castiel from his head, it did the opposite. They had the same piercing blue gaze and it set Dean’s face aflame. He looked back to the cement.  
  
“Then how about you take me home?”  
  
Dean nodded. He felt really bad. He had broken his word to Anna about the date but also a promise he had made to himself, to Castiel even. Nothing was supposed to change; but, things were.  
  
\---  
  
Dean slipped in through the door and climbed the stairs to his room. He flopped onto his bed. That had been a disaster. He hadn’t even offered to walk Anna to the door. If she shared what happened to with Castiel, it wouldn’t help Dean’s case at all.  
  
Wait, what case? He wasn’t trying to impress the guy. Or was he? Maybe that was exactly what he was trying to do. Maybe that’s what he had always been trying to do?  
  
Dean threw his arm over his eyes. It was a disaster.  
  
Leave it to Dean to have to live the fucking rom-com. He wanted to pretend that none of it happened but brains didn’t work that way, especially Dean’s. His brain always latched onto facts; that was how he made it through school without ever touching a textbook. He didn’t much care for school but did well anyway.  
  
He kept his eyes trained on the ceiling. He didn’t want to close his eyes; he only saw blue eyes when he closed them. The same blue eyes that stared at him through the matching mirror. It wasn’t the best way to go to sleep, trying to keep your eyes open; but, it worked, somehow.  
  
Dean fell asleep that night. It was restless but better than being awake.  
  
\---  
  
He woke late the next morning. He freaked out minutely for a moment before remembering that it was Saturday and calming his racing heart. Once the fear of tardiness eased, his thoughts turned to Castiel. He wondered if Castiel was okay, if his parents had punished him.  
  
While Dean still hadn’t told his parents outright that he was bisexual, he had never been told that he wasn’t supposed to be. Sam knew. Sam was his only confidante on the subject unless you included his friend Charlie who had moved away a few years previous.  
  
Dean didn’t count her because they didn’t keep in contact that much.  
  
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Dean sat up. Castiel fucking Novak was an asshole. All he did was raise his hand and command attention. He pushed his academics in your face. He dominated discussions in English class on The Road, one of the only books that Dean liked because it threw the idea of soul matches out on its ass and still maintained an amazing plot complete with fucking cannibals.  
  
Pushing himself out of bed, Dean went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth refusing to look at the mirror. It was a normal mirror but it reminded him of the matching mirror.  
  
“How long are you going to take in there, Dean?” Sam knocked lightly on the door.  
  
Dean rushed to open the door and pull his little brother inside.  
  
Blinking and spluttering at the sudden movements, Sam grabbed the towel rack to steady himself. “Okay, that happened.” He blinked bleary eyed at Dean. “Why did you pull me into the bathroom?”  
  
“What do you know about soulmates?” Dean almost regretted his question when Sam’s face lit up.  
  
Sam’s eyes lit up with a new happiness. “You were with your soulmate yesterday, weren’t you? God, Dean, you’re so lucky. I mean, how many people actually know their soul mate when-”  
  
“It’s not like that.”  
  
“How’s it like?”  
  
Dean scrubbed a hand down his face. “It’s complicated.” Dean sat on the edge of the tub. “Soulmates are like, perfect for each other, right?”  
  
Nodding, Sam closed the lid on the toilet and sat, as well. “Well, yeah. They usually are very compatible. I mean, soulmates aren’t the end all be all and some people get a new soulmate after one dies. It’s all…”  
  
Dean nodded. “Complicated.”  
  
Sam sighed but agreed. “Complicated.” He swiped a hand through his bangs to push them out of his face. “So, it’s a guy.”  
  
Throat-closing surprise forced Dean to look up at Sam.  
  
Scratching his neck suddenly sheepish, Sam shrugged. “I just, you probably wouldn’t be like this if it were a girl.” A long pause settled in. “Mom won’t care.”  
  
“And Dad?”  
  
Sam smirked. “Mom won’t care.”  
  
Dean smiled. He knew what Sam meant. Their mom practically ran the house; she wasn’t easy to push over. If she was okay with something, then Dad would come around. He clapped a hand onto his little brother’s shoulder. “You’re right.”  
  
Sam laughed. “You should say that more often.”  
  
Dean smacked Sam’s head before leaving the bathroom.  
  
\---  
  
By the time Dean got downstairs, after a few more ‘Castiel fucking Novak is an asshole’s and ‘Nothing needs to change’s, lunch was on the table.  
  
“Dean, I made BLTs. I know you like them.” His mom brought out toast and set it on the table. She took her spot and eyed Dean over her coffee. “May put you in a better mood.”  
  
Taking his own seat, Dean began to construct his sandwich. He couldn’t help but think this mother was clever. “Where’s Dad?” He glanced to the unset placemat.  
  
“He was called into the garage.”  
  
Dean nodded. He lifted his completed sandwich to his mouth and took a large bite. He chewed through the crusty bread and what he was going to tell his mother at the same time. Once he had swallowed, he began, “So, I found out my soulmate on, uh, yesterday.”  
  
His mother took a sip of her coffee. Her eyes were closed and relaxed.  
  
Dean could tell her was hiding a smile. “I argued with my teacher about it.”  
  
His mother’s eyes snapped open to look at him square. “Why did you argue?”  
  
“I don’t know.” Dean poked at his sandwich. “I was nervous, I guess.”  
  
“You guess?”  
  
“Fine, I was nervous.”  
  
His mother nodded. “Continue.”  
  
Heaving a large breath, Dean looked around the dining room for something to catch his eye. The only thing that did was his mother’s china hung on the wall; it was covered with a blue print that reminded him of Castiel’s eyes. It mocked him.  
  
“My soulmate, uh… well you see, it’s um…”  
  
Placing her coffee cup on the table, his mom donned a look of concern. “Is there a problem? Is she not what you expected?”  
  
Dean felt himself deflate. “I don’t even know what I expected.”  
  
“Then you can’t be upset too much.”  
  
“I’m not upset. I just…” Dean swallowed and clenched his jaw. He turned to his mother and looked her dead in the face. “He’s not what I thought he would be.”  
  
There was a long pause. Dean looked at his mother and she looked back. Sam sprinted in and took the fixings for his sandwich and sprinted away, the little shit.  
  
His mother cleared her throat. “Your father wasn’t what I expected either.” She picked up her cup and swirled what was left of her coffee. “So,” She grinned at Dean, “tell me about him. What’s he look like, first of all, I want to help you look for him.”  
  
Dean felt the tense that had settled into his shoulders when he heard Castiel’s parents yelling at him disperse. He let loose an old breath, one taken in the night before. It was stale and made way for clean air. “He’s a stuck up asshole.”  
  
Almost dropping her cup, his mother turned admonishing eyes toward him. “Dean, language.” She put the cup on the table and patted her thighs. It was weird to see his mother look out of place; usually she knew exactly what to say and how to say it.  
  
“But he is. All he does is get on people’s nerves. He runs over other people’s sentences. He doesn’t even let the teacher talk sometimes. He likes to be right; no, he has to be right. When I tell him that he’s wrong, he just won’t give up. He’s the one that fought with me using the history presentation that we gave together.”  
  
His mother began to laugh.  
  
“It’s not funny. He’s rude and he complains-”  
  
Holding up a finder to silence him, she picked up a piece of bacon and ate it. Silence remained until she finished. “You say he does this to ‘other people’.” His mother had a way of speaking with quotation marks; the only other person that could do that, who Dean had already met, was Castiel fucking Novak.  
  
“Yeah, all the time.” Dean waved his hand around.  
  
“To you?” His mother’s eyebrows raised into her forehead.  
  
“Yes.” Dean didn’t understand what he mother was getting at. He was trying to explain that his soulmate sucked.  
  
She sat back in her chair and nodded thoughtfully. “Have you two spoken about it?”  
  
Dean nodded, taking another bite of his BLT.  
  
“What came of your talk?”  
  
“He said that nothing was going to change. That we are still going to hate each other. He even gave me permission to go on a date with his sister last night, not that I needed his permission but he said that it was alright.”  
  
By then his mother simply looked confused. “You’re right, he does sound strange.”  
  
Dean could have laughed at that.  
  
This mother stood and took her plate into the kitchen. She spoke over her shoulder in a voice that did not give away what she was thinking. “He seems as lost as you do.”  
  
Dean rolled his eyes and went back to his room. It seemed to be the only safe haven.  
  
\---  
  
Dean dozed off and on for the remainder of the day. He avoided Sam’s questions until Sam left for some geek get together at one of the other Mathletes’ houses. Dean played on his Playstation and ventured to Sam’s room to steal his 3DS. It was almost dinnertime that his cell phone rang. A quick glance at the screen told him it was Anna Novak.  
  
He tossed it back onto the mattress and shook his head. That was definitely not who he wanted to talk to. The cellphone rang again; or was it?  
  
Dean clambered over and grabbed the phone, answering after the third ring. “Hey?”  
  
“Hello, Dean.” Castiel fucking Novak’s voice was wrecked and, Dean was mortified at the thought, a turn on.  
  
“Why are you calling from Anna’s phone?”  
  
There was a long pause.  
  
“I’m in her room hiding from my parents.” His voice wavered a little like he was trying not to cry and it almost broke Dean to hear it.  
  
Dean stood and started to pace his room. “Why? What happened? Are you okay?” Leave it to Castiel fucking Novak to make Dean care.  
  
“It’s, I don’t-”  
  
Dean waited. “You don’t?”  
  
“My parents contacted the school; and, since I’m not 18 yet, they requested the information.”  
  
Dean sunk onto his bed. “I’m guessing that’s bad.”  
  
“Very bad. My family is a bunch of religious assholes who think that you can only marry your soulmate.”  
  
Dean thought he saw the problem. “And you’re scared they’re going to make you marry me?” Dean was pressed into a different question in follow up. “Besides, why did you call me?”  
  
“It’s Anna’s phone; you’re the only contact in her phone I even remotely recognize.”  
  
Dean listened to Castiel breathe into the phone.  
  
“I don’t know what to do? They don’t know either. I mean, they keep telling me that being gay is a sin and then they tell me that marrying someone that isn’t your soul mate is a sin. I was hoping this would straighten the whole thing out; but, it’s just made it worse.”  
  
“What do you mean?” Dean was beginning to feel childish for worrying about his mother’s reaction.  
  
“I was supposed to be matched to a girl. I was supposed to suddenly not be gay anymore. It was supposed to become some sort of joke that we told at Christmas.” Castiel sounded completely drained.  
  
Dean didn’t know what to say to that.  
  
“This was a bad idea; I’m sorry for calling.”  
  
“No.” Dean rushed. “This wasn’t a bad idea and you have nothing to be sorry for.” Thinking quickly and making plan, Dean continued. “Do you want to go out for dinner?”  
  
“Like a date?”  
  
“No, like an escape. It will be easier to think your way through this if you put some distance between you and the problem.” Dean tried to smother the hope flame that lit in his chest.  
  
“Okay. I’ll climb out the window.”  
  
Dean grabbed his jacket and his keys. “No need to be drastic.”  
  
“It’s the only way out of here.”  
  
“I’ll be right over; I’m on my way.”  
  
“This is crazy.”  
  
Dean paused for a moment so he could realize how much he agreed. “This is crazy.”  
  
There was a moment during which neither of them breathed. Dean wasn’t sure who broke the spell, the silence; but it was broken and it left in him a feeling of elation. “Let’s do it.”  
  
\---  
  
Rolling up in the impala for Castiel fucking Novak was 20 times better than letting Anna into it. Castiel wasn’t wearing a coat; but Dean had figured as much and threw him an old sweatshirt he had brought along.  
  
Castiel had trouble putting on the sweatshirt because he didn’t want to take his eyes off of the car. “It’s beautiful. 1967 Chevy Impala.”  
  
A part of Dean actually felt jealous of how Castiel fucking Novak was looking at his car.  
  
Castiel got in and stroked the dash a little. “Wow.”  
  
Nodding, Dean smiled, starting her up and driving away. “Your sister said you’d like it.”  
  
The air in the car got tense. “So, how was your date with Anna?”  
  
A part of Dean wanted to lie and say it was awesome but another part won the internal argument. “It was shitty.”  
  
Castiel startled at the choice of language or Dean’s tone, Dean wasn’t sure. “Shitty? I find that hard to believe. She came back with fucking stars in her eyes.”  
  
It was Dean’s turn to startle. He had never heard someone curse so prettily before. It rolled off of Castiel’s tongue like it belonged there along with all of the other words.  
  
Dean shook his head. “We couldn’t agree on a movie and I ended up bringing her home super early.”  
  
Nodding, Castiel wrung his hands in his lap. “What movie did you want to see?”  
  
“Cowboys versus Aliens; God, I want to see it so bad.”  
  
“Shit. Fuck.” Castiel turned to Dean with wide eyes. “I was supposed to go to the movies with Anna tonight; we were going to see it. I was so looking forward to it. I mean, have you seen Harrison Ford?”  
  
“Even as he gets on in years that man is still made to look at.” Dean agreed easily.  
  
Castiel studied Dean from his spot in the passenger’s seat. A new silence enveloped the car; this one was much more relaxed. Castiel shifted in his seat so he could look at Dean better. “So where are we going?”  
  
“Dinner.” Dean shot him a smile. “I hope you like diner food.”  
  
“Rosalie’s?”  
  
“That’s what I was thinking.” Dean wondered if all soulmates could do this without any practice. They seemed to already know what the other knew. It was equal parts amazing and terrifying. “Burgers?”  
  
Castiel nodded. “Burgers.”  
  
\---  
  
Castiel swallowed his enormous bite of burger. “It said what?”  
  
Laughing, Dean took another sip of his soda. “I kid you not, it said ‘Castiel fucking Novak’.”  
  
Licking his lips clean of ketchup and mayonnaise, Castiel laughed. It was a light sound that made Dean’s insides melt. For a not-date, it was turning out horribly. “I wonder if they told my parents. Oh god, to see their fucking faces.”  
  
Dean found himself smiling along easily. “If your parents are so religious, where did you get your foul ass mouth?”  
  
“You see, I’m the youngest of 3 boys; Anna is the only sibling younger than me. My eldest brother, Michael, is a snot-nosed brat. My other brother, however, is a flaming homosexual who is doing very well for himself by running a strip club on the other side of town.”  
  
Laughing became a necessity. “I take it you’d rather the strip club to Sunday school?”  
  
“Any day.” Castiel smiled.  
  
Dean made a note to let his mother know that a better response to her earlier question would have been ‘gorgeous’. Castiel fucking Novak was gorgeous; his eyes were light and seemed to ask questions even when his words did not. It was like having another Sammy only less annoying. “Don’t take this the wrong way; but, you remind me a bit of my little brother. You’re much less annoying though.”  
  
“You have an annoying little sibling? Can’t be half as bad as Anna.”  
  
Dean picked up his pickle and watched for Castiel’s reaction when he took the entire thing into his mouth in one go, chewed, and swallowed. It was almost priceless. Is face tinged pink in all the right places and his eyes shut down for a moment glazing over. “I beg to differ.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
Never having seen Castiel fucking Novak at a loss of words, Dean spent a moment soaking in the glory. “Sammy is just as annoying if not worse that Anna.”  
  
The spell on Castiel broke and he smirked at Dean. “Impossible.”  
  
“Does Anna spend day and night researching everything about soulmates, rehearsing lines from plays that she isn’t in, and memorizing poetry that highlights the soulmate bond?”  
  
Castiel shuddered, visibly. “Ugh, no. But, she does staunchly protest the idea of soulmates being the end all be all by going on a billion dates.”  
  
Dean pointed his straw at Castiel. “But that’s logical.”  
  
“My parents are conservative, religious bastards.”  
  
Nodding, Dean ceded. “Less logical.”  
  
“Less logical?!?” Castiel looked like he was going to plow through the table. “It makes our lives fucking hell; somehow she gets joy out of it. You’d think she’d be more considerate.” Castiel looked upset suddenly.  
  
The jest gone; Dean sobered up too. “I can’t complain about Sammy there. He’s the only person that knew I was into dudes.”  
  
“So you’re gay?”  
  
Dean shook his head. “I consider myself bisexual. It wasn’t a surprise when a guy showed up in that fucking mirror; the surprise was that I already knew him and he had always been a bit of an ass.”  
  
Castiel rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t upset that it was you so much as upset it wasn’t a female. I mean, all of this would have been so much easier. I think that in that moment I would have taken Jo over you.”  
  
Dean grimaced and looked down at his drink.  
  
Reaching across, Castiel lifted Dean’s chin on an open hand. “I think that I’ve come to terms with it being you, though.”  
  
Dean shrugged. He waved over the waitress. “To terms?”  
  
Blushing, Castiel looked down into his lap and licked his cheek. He peaked up and gave a curt nod.  
  
Turning his now flushed face to the waitress who had come to an attitude hault next to their table, Dean’s heart fluttered around in his chest and it made him simultaneously excited and anxious.  
  
“What can I getcha, hon? You want the check?”  
  
Dean shook his head. “Vanilla shake please.” He pointed a questioning gaze to Castiel. “You want something more, Castiel?” Dean tried not to feel embarrassed by the way he worded that question. Absolute worst not-date; but, Dean was forgetting to care about it.  
  
Castiel shuddered. “Same for me.” He said to the waitress before she left. He turned to Dean. “Um, my parents only call me Castiel when I’m being obviously gay; please, call me Cas.”  
  
Nodding, Dean rolled the word over in his head. It didn’t take long for it to nudge it’s way not only into his vocabulary but somewhere much more preserved, hidden. “Alright, Cas; though, wouldn’t Castiel be perfectly acceptable since… you know.” Dean waved a hand to the electricity that seemed to make a charged line between the two of them.  
  
“I just, saying Castiel makes me feel like I’m in trouble.” Cas’ face flushed and he looked to his lap. “It sound different when you say it,” A small voice replied.  
  
“Good different or…?”  
  
Smiling and biting his lip, Cas looked up again to Dean. “Really good.”  
  
The woman returned with two shakes and their bill, which Dean swiftly paid. “You have anywhere to be, Cas?” Every time Dean said the name, it felt like he was saying something else, something more intimate.  
  
“No.”  
  
Dean licked his bottom lip. “You want to catch a movie?”  
  
Cas stood and nodded. “As long as it isn’t that animated one.”  
  
“What’s wrong with animated? It’s animated!”  
  
Placing his hands on his hips, Cas lifted his chin to look down his nosed at Dean. “It’s a kids’ movie.” Cas led the way to the car.  
  
Dean smirked. Soulmates couldn’t have everything in common.  
  
\---  
  
After the movie, Cas stood at the car in Dean’s sweatshirt and smiled. Dean just looked. Dean wondered if this entire night was a dream; something that his brain had come up with when he closed his eyes and saw those piercing blue irises. Dean stopped. “This isn’t some trick.”  
  
Cas’ eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean?”  
  
Dean moved his tongue, suddenly heavy, around his mouth. “I mean, this isn’t some one night thing, yeah? This is something that will still be something tomorrow and the day after.”  
  
“Yes!” Cas insisted immediately before schooling himself. “If, if you want it to be.” A new blush covered Cas’ cheeks.  
  
“I do.” Dean swallowed.  
  
Cas grinned at him. They were about the same height. Cas had a different build but it was a build that Dean admired; it was smooth but solid.  
  
Dean didn’t let him think too hard; instead, he moved forward and pressed his lips to Cas’. There was no spark like Sam’s redundant poetry kept trying to say and there was no electric shock like his mother always describe her and dad’s first kiss. It was something totally different. It was Cas.  
  
Cas’ lips pushed and pulled at all the right intervals and his hands dragged up Dean’s arms and neck until his fingernails met Dean’s scalp. Dean moaned which let Cas’ tongue into his mouth.  
  
Very soon, Dean found himself pushing Cas against the impala’s door and bending him impossibly backward onto the impala’s roof. His hands found Cas’ hips and he pulled them up into his own.  
  
Cas’ suction grip on his mouth suddenly disappeared and his head tilted back as his back arched. His breath came out in pants.  
  
Finding it much more plausible than fighting for Cas’ lips, Dean paid his respect to Cas; neck. It was easy to reach and stretched out perfectly for him.  
  
Cas pushed back hard and Dean moved away. It was a good thing, too. If Cas hadn’t, Dean may not have been inclined to ever let him go.  
  
They both stood breathing hard just outside of each other’s personal space. Cas bit his lip. “I don’t want to go home.”  
  
Dean mimicked Cas by biting his own lip.  
  
“Ever.” Cas’ eyes turn determined.  
  
Dean shook his head, partly from disbelief and partly from disagreement. “That is probably not the best idea.”  
  
“Why not? I’m almost 18, literally days away. It’s been done. I mean we’re soulmates, who would say no?” Cas’ eyes were wide and hopeful.  
  
Dean swallowed. It was a bad idea. It was horrible. In fact, it was probably a disaster waiting to happen. Cas was gorgeous and Dean would never get anything done properly if he were around all the time. It would be different; but, not necessarily a bad different.  
  
He had hated Cas a little more than a day ago, or had he? He wasn’t sure and he doubted that he’d ever know. He wasn’t ready for a relationship like Cas was talking about; neither was Cas in Dean’s opinion. Neither of them knew what they were doing. They were both lost.  
  
Dean almost laughed at himself. “This is crazy.”  
  
It really was. So many things could go wrong. The world wasn’t as forgiving at the two of them seemed to be, at least based on the fact that they both forgave each other for whatever crazy reason it was that they hated each other.  
  
Cas smiled wide and nodded back at him. “This is crazy.”  
  
Dean pulled Cas into him by the belt loops. “Let’s do it.”


	2. Dean asshat Winchester

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas hasn't ever taken into account that he might want to be in a relationship with his soulmate. It had never been something he was interested in. He had known that some people got same-sex soulmates but that it happened rarely. He had figured this was his way out; he'd get a female soulmate and the relationship between him and his parents would be fixed.  
> It was his luck to be actually get a same-sex soulmate; and, it had to be Dean asshat Winchester to top it all off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UNBETA'd. UNPROOF'd. Mistakes are mine.

Cas shifted in the seat of the impala. Dean’s sweatshirt was big enough on him that he had the sleeves’ cuffs bunched into his fists in his lap. He couldn’t believe that this was happening. He was in Dean asshat Winchester’s car which happened to be one of his favorite classic cars EVER, driving to the Winchesters’ house to stay the night.  
  
Blinking long and slow, Cas had to make sure it wasn’t some hybrid nightmare and dream. 4 hours ago Cas had been hiding in Anna’s room hoping against all hope that his parents didn’t look for him there, now he was in Dean asshat Winchester’s impala.  
  
Damn, it was a nice impala too. If Dean decided to take care of Cas with the same amount of effort as he maintained the car, they would have a happily ever after within a week.  
  
Cas was both excited and nervous. “So, we’re going to your house.” It was just something to say so that Cas didn’t talk himself out of this. He barely knew Dean. He knew that he was passionate, especially for the south in the Civil War at its outbreak. That had been horrible.  
  
“Yep. My brother is going blow a fucking fuse.” Dean was watching the road. It was dark out and the Cas untucked one of his hands so he could read the time on his watch. 11:37.  
  
Retucking his hand into the sweatshirt, Cas bit his bottom lip for a long moment. “Your brother is going to be awake?”  
  
Dean snorted. “Probably not.” He licked his lips and turned down a street with small houses. He looked just as awkward at words as Cas felt. The silence they sat in was relaxed but their conversation was stunted. Dean reached toward the radio and flicked it on.  
  
Cherry Pie started to blast through the speakers and Dean quickly fumbled with the volume. There was a beat of silence before Cas burst out laughing. The way Dean looked at him made him feel bad for it but he couldn’t stop.  
  
Dean looked affronted. “Are you laughing at my music?” He turned a hard gaze back to the road. Even though Dean wasn’t looking at him, all Cas could do was shake his head. Dean must have caught the movement from the corner of his eyes though because her responded. “Then what are you laughing about?”  
  
Wiping tears from his eyes, Cas sniffed. “That song is what Gabriel calls my theme song. He makes an effort to play it when I get on the dance floor at his club.” He was smiling wider than he had in a while. His mother and father had been on his case about his responsibilities to his soulmate for the last month and before that they were obsessing with his grade point average. It was good to let go.  
  
The impala rolled to a stop in front of what must have been the Winchester house. Cas couldn’t really see it. It wasn’t as big as his own home but it was two floors. Dean stepped out of the car and rounded to Cas’ side. He didn’t move to open the door but he waited with his shoulders hunched and his hands tucked into his pockets.  
  
“Will anyone be up?” Cas squeezed his fists tighter and wrapped his arms around himself. It was colder outside when Dean asshat Winchester wasn’t pressed up against him.  
  
Looking at the house, Dean replied, “I hope not.”  
  
They approached the house and Dean opened the door. He walked in and looked around. The room was dark and Cas couldn’t see much more than moonlight outlines.  
  
Dean closed and locked the door then moved further into the house, stopping in the middle of the room and glaring at what Cas guessed was the couch. Dean grumbled. “I hate this fucking sofa bed.” He moves toward the sofa but Cas grabbed his arm.  
  
“Then don’t bother.” Cas surprised himself. He seemed to surprise Dean. He was too surprised to be proud that he had rendered Dean speechless; his heart beat thrumming in his ears like a surreal soundtrack. Cas gave two quick tugs on Dean’s arm where he was grasping on tight. If he could have seen his knuckles, Cas figured they would have been pale because of his vice grip.  
  
Slowly nodding, Dean backed away from the sofa and turned them before leading the way up the stairs. Cas didn’t let go of Dean’s arm; he was scared that it would all fade to nothing if he did.  
  
\---  
  
Dean pushed open a door and sat on the bed with in. Cas sat too because he still refused to let go of his arm.  
  
Chuckling, Dean kicked the door closed and flicked on the light. “This is crazy.”  
  
“I know.”  
  
Shaking Cas off his arm, Dean stood and removed his jacket. He began to takeoff his over shirt. “Are you sleeping in that?”  
  
Cas looked down at the sweatshirt. “Uh, no.” He hugged himself in the material. It was nice to wear something of Dean’s. It smelled like Dean; which was a new thought. Cas didn’t know he could recognize a smell as Dean’s; but, he was. He wished he knew more about soulmates. He had never looked into it since it had always seemed like a shit load of crazy. “Do you have something that I can wear?”  
  
Across the room, Dean rummaged through a dresser and threw a black AC/DC shirt at him. Cas busied himself with putting it on. Shortly afterward, a pair of pajama pants hit him in the stomach and landed at his feet too. He didn’t say anything, opting to silently pull them on over his boxers.  
  
Dean gestured for Cas to get in bed. Cas flicked off the light, sat on the edge, and stared, confused, when Dean picked up a pillow and threw it on the floor.  
  
Louder than he had intended, Cas voiced his confusion. “What are you doing?”  
  
“SHHH!” Dean held a finger in front of his mouth and whisper-yelled. “Do you want to wake my family up?” He pulled a blanket from the foot of the bed. “I’ll sleep here.” Dean knelt on the floor on his makeshift bed shifting things.  
  
Crawling across the bed on all fours, Cas found that Dean’s pajama bottoms rode down so the crotch was close to his knees; it made it difficult to move and he ended up flopping onto the bed. He would never admit that it was more because he was thinking about the fact that Dean’s crotch had been in the pants. Cas swallowed a sudden onset of arousal. “Fucking idiot, get on the damn bed.”  
  
Dean turned. Kneeling on the ground, Dean’s face was almost lined up with Cas’. He leaned back.  
  
Cas rolled over and tried to adjust the pajama pants. “Fucking flannel.”  
  
Chuckling, Dean watched him. Dean’s face was tinged pink and, from the angle that Cas was able to observe him from, he had a strong jawline. “You’ll thank me for the flannel when it gets cold in the morning.”  
  
“I’ll thank you when you get your ass on the damn bed.” Cas glared at him upside-down.  
  
Licking his lips and rolling his eyes. “It’s really fine.”  
  
Cas, having readjusted the pants, rolled over and grabbed Dean’s pillow from the floor and hugged it to his chest. “Then I’ll sleep on the floor.”  
  
“You’re a guest; sleep on the fucking bed, Cas.”  
  
The pillow also smelled like Dean. Cas closed his eyes and savored it; it was a more concentrated Dean smell than the air in his room. It was addictive. Cas tried to slyly take a deep breath of that smell. It made his insides hot.  
  
“Cas?”  
  
Cas’ eyes snapped open. “Sorry.” He bit the inside of his cheek. “Just, I’m tired. Don’t sleep on the floor. You need good sleep if we’re going to figure all of this out tomorrow.  
  
Dean huffed and glared.  
  
Narrowing his own eyes, Cas glared back, waiting.  
  
“Fine.” Dean threw the blanket back onto the bed and stood from where he had been kneeling. Cas shifted around until his head was on the other pillow. Dean was looking at him expectantly. “My pillow?” Dean held out a hand for it.  
  
Realizing that he was still hugging the other pillow, Cas let go of it and pushed it toward Dean. He was a little embarrassed. They shifted under the covers without a word and laid back to back.  
  
Every time Cas closed his eyes, he saw Dean’s jawline and the smell of Dean closed in on him. It wasn’t a bad feeling; it was a very pleasant feeling. It was a feeling that shouldn’t be possible until you know someone. Cas didn’t know Dean, though. Dean asshat Winchester was just that, an asshat. He liked to have the last word. Even if Cas had a perfectly fair argument and a perfectly logical progression of facts, Dean would say one thing at the end and unravel the whole thing.  
  
Dean would pick apart his argument and turn his words around. Dean would throw bits of paper at him during a timed essay and make him loose marks for cleanliness. Cas had never seen Dean open a textbook, EVER, but Dean would debate with him anyway.  
  
Cas tried closing his eyes; but Dean’s face showed up again. This time, though, it was from when Cas had been watch Dean get his match in the mirror. The teacher/soul match counselor had been telling Dean that he had to ball up since he was 3rd in their class. Cas had never known that Dean was so close to the top. It had never occurred to Cas that Dean actually did stuff; any time he had ever thought of Dean it had always been that Dean didn’t care about school.  
  
Cas was so confused. He head was lulling with the thoughts of Dean, though, and soon he fell to sleep. It was warm and safe and a little fucking awesome to be nowhere near home.  
  
\---  
  
An alarm went off near Cas’ ear. Cas wanted to fucking murder someone. It was way too damn early to be getting up. He glanced at the clock and was affirmed of it when the little numbers showed an ungodly number beginning with a 5.  
  
Hell no. Cas stared at the box; and, after a moment of realizing that he had no clue how to turn the fucking thing off, he caught notice of a cord attaching the infernal device to the wall. He followed the cord lazily then gave a quick tug.  
  
The cord unplugged and the alarm stopped blaring. He shifted and buried his nose into the crease between the pillows and plastered his body against the heat on the other side of the bed. It didn’t take long to fall back to sleep.  
  
\---  
  
The second time Cas woke it wasn’t because of an alarm or something else equally loud and obnoxious. At first, he had no clue why. He had a face full of warm Dean-smelling chest and an arm wrapped around his shoulders. Dean was snoring lightly; he briefly wondered if that had woken him.  
  
It took another moment before he felt something else. An eerie feeling filled his shoulders and the skin on the back of his neck prickled. He turned over and saw a woman with long blonde hair standing at the door.  
  
Her face was half way between furious and confused.  
  
Cas swallowed. “Dean.” Nothing happened. “Dean.” He said it louder and kicked Dean beneath the covers. “Dean!”  
  
After a quick intake of breath, Dean mumbled, “What is it?”  
  
“There is a woman standing here who looks like you; so, I’m going to venture a guess that it is your mother and she looks like she’s going to murder me.” Cas didn’t look at Dean; he was too busy watching the other blonde Winchester.  
  
Even though he couldn’t see him, Cas felt the jerky movement of Dean jumping up then out of bed. Dean had moved so quickly that Cas was knocked over and left in a small knot of blanket.  
  
“Shit. What the hell? I thought I set my-” Dean looked at the infernal device that had gone off. “What the? What time is it?”  
  
The woman took a steadying breath and refocused her gaze on Dean. “It’s 7.” He voice was scary calm; the juxtaposition between her voice and her face was strange and unsettling. “Dean, will you come down stairs? We need to have a chat.” She turned and left the room.  
  
Once she had retreated down the stairs, Dean took in a large breath like he had been holding his breath.  
  
Cas found himself panting. He looked around for a way to escape or a way to help. His eyes landed on one of Dean’s windows that had a tree outside. “I’ll leave through the window.”  
  
“Stop with the fucking theatrics, Cas.” Dean was pulling on his jeans. He didn’t put a shirt on over the white tank he had slept in. “Stay here. I was planning on getting up and making breakfast for her; make her easier to talk to.” He glared at the alarm clock.  
  
Untangling the blankets from his legs, Cas bit his lip. “Sorry. I don’t think I was fully awake. I just-”  
  
One of Dean’s hands came up to his face, it was rude and Cas was about to tell him so. His eyebrows scrunched together and his tongue began to heat up with the retort sitting there.  
  
“Shush.” Dean’s eyes pleaded with him instead of fumed. It caught Cas off guard enough that he lost the insult he was going to say to a new slew of thoughts about how pretty Dean’s eyes were. “I’m going to go down stairs and explain this to my mother. Stay here.” Dean turned to leave.  
  
Cas made movement to follow anyway.  
  
Spinning around to look at Cas again, Dean pinned him with a serious but, surprisingly, not angry gaze. “Stay.”  
  
Cas nodded and sunk back onto the bed. He was a guest in Dean’s house. He didn’t even know Dean. He wasn’t used to listening to anyone but teachers and his parents. It was odd to listen to Dean. The sour taste that usually came with adherence to authority had a sweeter aftertaste when it was Dean’s authority. Cas felt more confused than ever.  
  
\---  
  
Cas had a thing about rules; he didn’t like them. That is the reason he pulled on a pair of Dean’s jeans and another band t-shirt and tiptoed down the stairs. He didn’t want Dean to get in trouble because he had told him to sleep in the bed instead of on the floor.  
  
“Dean, yesterday you were telling me that he was an asshole.”  
  
“He is.”  
  
Cas clapped a hand over his mouth. He was trying to hold back both the smart remark and the laughter that threatened to escape. Either response would only affirm the comment anyway. He leaned closer to the door.  
  
“He is a gorgeous, educated, passionate, and irritatingly thoughtful asshole.”  
  
There was a beat of silence. Cas held his breath.  
  
“You could have said that yesterday. I was worried that there would actually be a problem. I mean, once you’ve met your soulmate all of the symptoms start; in fact, that was probably why you two had so much trouble with each other. You two had already begun to-”  
  
“Hold up. What?”  
  
Cas felt a trill of cold trickle down his spine. It was weird. He didn’t feel cold anywhere else. He mostly felt warm; he was wearing Dean’s clothes and it was nice. The cool feeling was alien; it was coming from somewhere else.  
  
“Who are you?”  
  
Whirling around, Cas glared at the dark-haired boy that had snuck up behind him. Sam, it must have been Sam. “Shhhh.” He balled his hands in the hem of the borrowed shirt.  
  
Sam’s face opened in surprise and sleep ebbed away in a matter of seconds. His face turned upward in happiness and Cas was conveniently reminded that Dean’s little brother was obsessed with anything soul match.  
  
“You must be Dean’s soulmate.” Sam almost yelled it. Cas groaned.  
  
“Cas?” Dean leaned out the door and into the hallway. “What are you doing downstairs? I asked you to stay upstairs.”  
  
Rolling his eyes, Cas shrugged. “You’ll soon find out that I don’t really follow instructions.”  
  
A deadpan stare settled on Dean’s features. Cas heard a voice come from behind Dean.  
  
“God, we don’t need two of them.”  
  
\---  
  
Cas found himself swiftly whisked into the room and sat at the dining room table. He sat across from Call-Me-Mary Winchester and beside Sam. Sam’s feet swung with some sort of giddiness that Cas somewhat admired and somewhat feared.  
  
“So you’re Dean’s soul mate.”  
  
Cas turned back to Call-Me-Mary. He nodded and looked over to Dean in the kitchen. The archway to the kitchen revealed Dean shooting him a pleading look while he mixed some sort of batter with a spatula.  
  
“Eyes here.”  
  
Flicking his gaze back, Cas was nervous.  
  
Call-Me-Mary held herself like she were a queen. Her head was held high and her chin was tilted upward. She sat with poise and dignity. Even though she was shorter than Dean, Dean seemed to be afraid of her and Cas could see why. She was a presence you couldn’t ignore; she demanded your complete undivided attention.  
  
She looked like Dean.  
  
It was probably more accurate to say that Dean looked like her; but, Cas had already internalized Dean like he had never thought would happen. Dean had wheedled his way into his mind in such a way that he couldn’t go back to the before. It probably had something to do with what Dean and Mary had been talking about earlier and Sam had inconveniently interrupted.  
  
“What’s your favorite subject in school?” Mary said it with a nonchalant air. It was sweet and fake and Cas knew that his answer mattered very much.  
  
“English.”  
  
Immediately after he answered the question, she spit out another. “What’s your favorite food?”  
  
“Burgers.”  
  
“Favorite song?”  
  
“I don’t know.”  
  
Mary narrowed her eyes at him.  
  
Hastening to remedy his answer, Castiel spoke. “Uh, I mean, Daisy.”  
  
“What do you want to do with your life?”  
  
Cas thought about it. He really didn’t know. He didn’t want to go with his standard answer of some sort of English professor because he figured that Mary would just cut through it knowing that it wasn’t really true. Mary had a cut-the-crap sort of attitude.  
  
Searching out Dean again in the kitchen, he found him at the stove hovering over what looked to be upwards of 3 pots and pans creating what smelled like an amazing breakfast. Dean noticed and smiled at him. Cas felt a light airy feeling seep into the back of his head. It was calming and it eased the pressure in his shoulders. The feeling must have come from Dean. He really wished he had read the required readings in Match Education.  
  
Taking in a deep breath, Cas answered Mary truthfully. “I don’t really know. I know I want to go to college and I know I want to study English and Religious Studies or Art. I want to travel if I can, not far and not long; but, I’ve never left here before. I want to be able to say that I saw places. I’ve always had a picture in my head about being an English Teacher or professor. I really like reading.”  
  
Sam’s face had turned confused and it was quite amusing to watch his broad features fold into each other in confusion. “That’s like the opposite of Dean.” Sam looked from Cas to Dean to Mary. “How does that work?”  
  
“What do you mean?” Cas was confused. Dean liked art and religion; or, at least, his participation in the art show and the optional religion lectures seemed to hint at it. Dean always wrote poems, really they were lyrics, about getting out of the town where he grew up. Cas belatedly realized that he should have seen this coming. “Dean likes Art and Religion. He and I have many of the same interests.”  
  
Dean was nodding in the other room over the stove.  
  
Sam spun in his chair toward Dean, draping an elbow over the back of the dining chair. “You like religion?”  
  
“I’m just cooking breakfast.”  
  
Shock painting his face vividly, Sam turned back to the table and seemed to rethink his entire life. “He told me he was bisexual but not that he liked religion. I feel betrayed.”  
  
Cas was beginning to see the annoying, theatrical little brother; but, he stood by his assertion that Anna was worse.  
  
Dean brought in a plate of pancakes and placed them on the table. He returned to the kitchen to retrieve the other plates of food for their rather elaborate breakfast. Cas was relieved to find out that Dean was a decent cook since Cas couldn’t even cook a frozen tv dinner correctly. Cas’ kitchen skills lied in baking and that was it.  
  
Mary was still watching Cas so he busied himself with fiddling with his place setting, shifting the fork back and forth until it was perfectly parallel to the placemat and so forth. Cas let out a long evening breath when Dean finally sat with them.  
  
“We can eat. We have pancakes and eggs and bacon.”  
  
Dean shot a smile then a sheepish look to Cas. Cas figured it had to be about the impromptu interrogation. Cas shrugged, feigning nonchalance.  
  
Pouring enough syrup to drown his plate, Dean passed the bottle to another hand. “So, how did you know I like Art and Religion?”  
  
It was Mary’s turn to look surprised. The expression looked foreign of her face. With both Dean and Mary sitting at the table, Cas could see the minor differences in their aesthetics, besides age and sex. Dean was a bit more bronze like he was in the sun more and had darker eyes, not like Sam’s eyes but darker than Mary’s. They were both very beautiful though and Cas felt supremely out of place.  
  
Cas pushed his scrambled eggs around on his plate. “Didn’t you win the Art Show’s sculpture category last year?”  
  
Almost choking on his food, Dean shot an alarmed glance at Cas before flicking his eyes around the table.  
  
“You entered the Art Show last year?” Sam was surprised all over again, a piece of pancake falling from wear it had need skewered on a half-raised fork.  
  
Mary took the question further with one eyebrow raised delicately. “And won?”  
  
Dean flushed and Cas rushed in to try to help. “It was very good. He made it in shop class. It was a miniature high chair. It was carved with a family on the back but I think they were zombies or something.” Cas turned to Dean for help.  
  
“Cannibals.” Dean looked up from his food. “They were cannibals. We were told to make something that was an everyday object with some sort of element of design. I chose juxtaposition. It was the idea that it was an empty high chair, it begged the question if the family ate the baby or not.”  
  
“It was genius. I got second in black and white sketch piece and first in painting; but, mine were child’s play in comparison.” Cas ate a mouthful of eggs, happy to use his mouth for something other than babbling.  
  
Sam looked uneasy. “But Dad said-”  
  
“I don’t care what Dad said.”  
  
Dean’s retort almost gave Cas whiplash turning for Sam to Dean then back. Cas felt a tenseness settle around them.  
  
Dean looked toward his mother but kept his head bent over his plate. “So where is Dad?”  
  
“At the garage.”  
  
“Again?” Dean set down his fork. “He’s been picking up a lot of extra hours lately.”  
  
Mary cut into another pancake. “We’re about to have to start paying for college; we can use all the extra money we can get.”  
  
Dean’s face contorted in confusion. “You’ve got four years. By then we’ll have three incomes and we all know that Sam’s smart enough to get a scholarship.”  
  
His food was suddenly really interesting. Cas stared at the food, quite delicious food, that Dean had made. Why would Dean go straight to Sam? Did he not expect to go to college? Dean could probably get a scholarship too. He was smart and quick-witted. It wasn’t like he was stupid, more like, ill-focused. Cas began to voice this, “But Dean-”  
  
“No.” Dean stood having finished his food. “This is not a topic for discussion.” He began to clear the table; and, once Cas had, albeit hurriedly, finished the rest of his food, he rushed to help. He felt out of place at the table when Dean wasn’t there.  
  
\---  
  
They sat in the living room once the plates were cleared and put into the dishwasher. Dean asshat Winchester was sitting on the floor between Cas’ feet. While Cas wasn’t entirely sure why Dean was on the floor, he didn’t really want him to move. From where Cas sat, he could run a hand through Dean’s hair if he wanted to. He hadn’t and he probably wouldn’t; but, it was something that Cas had always fantasized about doing to a faceless partner.  
  
Sam was stretched out on the sofa being a fucking baby. He kept whining about his own brother didn’t trust him enough to share his extracurricular interests. Dean kept reprimanding him.  
  
“Cas, tell my brother that he must be adopted since he’s whining like a bitch.”  
  
Sam just gasped affronted. “Jerk.”  
  
Cas leaned forward from his seat on the couch and spoke close to Dean’s ear. “I already told you that I don’t like taking instruction.”  
  
When he moved back, he noticed Dean shiver. Dean leaned his head back so that he could see Cas and he was pillowed on Cas’ thigh. It felt so fucking normal that it was almost scary. Cas wondered if their rivalry could have been avoided had the matching taken place about 6 years earlier.  
  
Dean bit his lips and stared at Cas. “You’ll find that I don’t like rules.”  
  
Cas didn’t stop his fingers from brushing the hair at Dean’s forehead. It was like a part of a dream he had never had. Dean’s eyes fluttered closed in response. He was so pretty that it physically hurt Castiel somewhere in his chest.  
  
“If you did go to college-”  
  
Dean’s eyes flickered open and glared at Cas.  
  
“I’m not saying that you will; but, if you did, what would you study?” Cas carded his fingers through Dean’s hair; more confident than before.  
  
“I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it.”  
  
Sam sat up and stared. “Never?”  
  
Dean’s body tensed up and Cas hissed over at Sam. “Shut up.”  
  
Shaking his head like he was going to argue, Sam seemed to realize that this was a private moment that he was privy to only because Cas was allowing him to be.  
  
Chucking, Dean smiled at Cas. “I like it when you tell people to ‘Shut up’.”  
  
“You won’t like it so much when I’m telling you to.” Cas already knew that to be true. His scratched lightly at Dean’s scalp in an experiment that had no hypothesis. Dean pushed his head into his fingers minutely and Cas found it endearing.  
  
Dean swallowed. “Then I guess you can’t tell me to ‘Shut up’.”  
  
Cas leaned close to Dean’s ear, again. “I’ll find other ways.” He was almost surprised by his own words. He was flirting. He had to tell Anna that he finally figured out how to flirt. His attempts at flirting had always been rather laughable to her. He had either been too ‘out there’ or too unsure of himself. It was so easy to do this with Dean.  
  
The worst part was when Dean responded. “I can’t wait.”  
  
Flushing with heat and color from his ears all the way into his shirt, Cas tried to hide his arousal. It was mostly him hunching over until his forehead was pushed into Dean’s shoulder. It wasn’t the most comfortable position but it hid him from his companions.  
  
There was a long silence. Cas felt Dean’s adam’s apple move at his temple. “I think I would take Religious Studies.”  
  
A part of Cas was really impressed that Dean had held the subject. Cas rarely found people that could pick up a subject or conversation right where it left off. Cas also realized that it would make the task of distracting Dean or switching topics in the future rather interesting. Just when Cas thought the blush was receding, it came back full force. He bit his lip.  
  
He was thinking about a future with Dean asshat Winchester. A FUTURE. And, for some reason, it didn’t scare him. “Isn’t religious studies just the memorization of a shit load of crazy facts? I mean, I’m interested in it but a whole college degree?”  
  
Dean nodded. It was almost intimate because they were so close. Dean’s jawline moved Cas’ hair since Cas was still burrowed into Dean’s shoulder. “That’s about all I’m good at.”  
  
“I don’t think that’s true.” Cas turned to look at Dean and held his gaze. “You’re very intelligent. It’s true that you may be able to apply yourself better but that doesn’t mean it’s not there.” It upset Cas that Dean thought so little of himself; a flash of rage emanated from his center but it got sucked away somewhere else. Cas wasn’t sure what had happened; one second hehad been angry and the next he wasn’t.  
  
The change in the room was almost immediate. Dean rocked forward, almost taking Castiel to the ground.  
  
“What did you just say to me?” Dean stood and glared at Cas; his face was contorted and set in a violent shade of dark pink.  
  
Cas wasn’t entirely sure what he had said wrong. He hadn’t thought he said anything mean or rude. He had simply been complimenting Dean on his intelligence. “I said that you’re very intelligent.” Cas was lost. He wasn’t lost for long, though; a racing dose of anger wrapped around his spine from an unknown source. “What the hell is your fucking problem?”  
  
“My fucking problem is that you have to always be better than me.” Dean’s eyes were fuming.  
  
Sam jumped up and sped from the room, fucking wuss. Cas rolled his eyes. “What’s that mean? Just because I’m better than you-”  
  
“So, you are better than me?” Dean’s eyes narrowed.  
  
“Let me fucking finish, Winchester.”  
  
Dean panted where he stood. He almost looked confused. It was humorous in a fucked up way. He looked like he was upset with himself, lost.  
  
Letting out a shrill laugh, Cas mocked him. He wasn’t entirely sure why. “I was saying that there are some things that I’m better at and some things that you are better at.”  
  
Coolness seeped in behind Cas’ eyes. He was suddenly calm and composed and confused. What had happened? He was completely overwhelmed by a need for something. He wanted to hold something. He wanted to be held. He wasn’t thinking too hard but Dean rushed across the room and scooped him into a hug.  
  
Cas was so confused and frustrated that he wanted to cry. He didn’t know what was happening. He clutched Dean’s shirt in his hands and just held him. “What the fuck is going on?”  
  
Dean shook his head into Cas’ neck. “I have no fucking clue.”  
  
\---  
  
Once everything cooled down, literally. Cas’ arms were cold enough that it warranted him borrowing a sweater from Dean. Mary sat them on the sofa and held up a book. “It took me a while to find it; but, I have it now.”  
  
Cas read the gold pressed words on the red, linen-bound cover. “The Soul Bond.” It looked well worn; like it had been bent open for days on end and studied. “Let me venture a guess, it’s about cooking techniques.”  
  
Dean chuckled. Mary glared.  
  
“It’s about the different types of soul bonds, for the most part.” She flipped through the pages. “There’s some information on the psychology of a soul match and some guesses at the factors that are weighed when picking a soul match.” She made an aside from the book, holding the book at arm’s length like it would be offended by her words. “That’s absolutely worthless information, if you ask me.”  
  
Cas nodded in agreement. “Yeah, they change their theories as much as they shit.”  
  
Mary shook her head. “Damn did they pick you a match.” She sighed. “You,” she pointed at Cas, “I like you. You can stay. You’d be better with a cleaner vocabulary but I’ll take what I can get.”  
  
Snorting, Dean smiled. “Now all you have to worry about if how much of a wuss Sam’s soul mate will be.”  
  
\---  
  
Dean and Cas were laying next to each other on Dean’s bed. They had been reading the book that Mary had presented to them. Well, more accurately, Cas was reading the important bits aloud while Dean half-dosed on his back.  
  
“Shouldn’t you call your house? Aren’t they worried about you?” Dean’s eyes were closed and his posture was relaxed but there was a slight edge to his voice.  
  
Cas swallowed. “Uh, actually, my parents kicked me out.”  
  
Eyes snapping open, Dean’s face turned to Cas scribbled on with concern and hints of pity. “What?”  
  
Shrugging, Cas gave an empty, nervous laugh. “That’s why I was hiding in Anna’s room. They had kicked me out and left. I thought that they had just been really upset so I ran to Anna’s room.” Cas closed his eyes and dropped his forehead to the book. “They told me to be gone by the time they got back. I hadn’t taken them seriously. When they did come back, I had decided to go back down and try to reason with them some more.”  
  
Dean rolled toward Cas. He threw a leg over one of Cas’ in a weird embrace and threw and arm over his body. When Dean was arranged again, he was half laying on Cas and his head was wedged between Cas’ shoulder and his neck his nose almost resting at Cas’ collar bone. Dean didn’t say anything, simply breathed the same air.  
  
It was extremely intimate. It was one of those things that happened in love novels. Cas turned his head until his nose brushed against Dean’s temple. He whispered. “They were talking about how they were finally free of the ‘other’ abomination. I just ran back upstairs and hid. I grabbed Anna’s phone and looked for a familiar number.” Cas took in a long breath. “I think it took me 10 minutes to talk myself into actually pressing the call button.” Cas laughed but without jest.  
  
Dean spoke low. “Why didn’t you call your brother?”  
  
Cas smiled and picked his head up. Dean picked up his head too and watched Cas.  
  
“Gabriel is a bit hot-headed. I didn’t really want to get him involved.”  
  
Dean rolled back onto his back. Cas missed the warmth and just the closeness of it all; but, since the moment was over, it made sense for Dean to move away.  
  
Crossing his arms over his head in a weird stretch, Dean resettled with his foot nudged up against Cas’ and his hands crossed over his stomach. “That must be the flaming homosexual.”  
  
“Yeah.” Cas tried to return his attention back to the book, looking for where Dean had cut him off.  
  
“I want to meet him. If someone as temperamental as you calls him hot-headed; it must really be something.”  
  
Cas barked out a true laugh. He began to read aloud again.  
  
“There are 4 types of bonds that soulmates can have. Each is a step further than the first and have different symptoms.  
  
“These next four chapters will explain the following 4 match bonds.”  
  
“Platonic: The platonic bond is when two soulmates are not sexually or romantically attracted to each other and simply complete each other as friends; this is achieved through a sense of stability ot commitment. Usually platonic match soulmates experience symptoms like urges to attend places together or to have minimal physical contact like a hand on the shoulder or a brief hug; no psychological changes have been reported in studies. This is rare as a final form of a bond but it can happen, somewhere between 9% and 11% of the population.  
  
“Companionate: This is the same as a platonic bond but with either a sexual or romantic element brought on by passion. As well as the symptoms of a platonic bond, a companionate match may come with sexual urges or arousal that are shared or romantic urges that are shared. The mental states of the soulmates are altered minutely through shared urges. Companionate bond mates may feel uneasy or ‘fuzzy’ if separated from their soulmate for long durations. This is the final bond form for about 37% of the population.  
  
“Love: This bond includes both sexual and romantic elements, bringing together passion, intimacy, and commitment. A love bond includes all of the aforementioned symptoms as well as a symptoms including: sickness when apart, physical pain if unfaithful, and extreme depression after loss. A permanent link is formed mentally; and, during times of great intimacy or passion, love bondmates may be able to exchange thoughts or feelings. This is the final bond form for over half the population, near 52%.  
  
“Profound: The profound bond comes about very rarely. Soulmates of this variety share very different relationships that those of any other category. Once a pair of soulmates have gotten to the profound bond stage of their matching, they may have a very wide range of symptoms. Some scientists consider that this is the original bondmate, that these sorts of matches were the first kind of matches ever made. These sorts of relationships are often very passionate and are between two people of very close age. Little is specifically known about this bond. For a full list of symptoms read the chapter on the profound bond. Only .2% to 2% of the population will experience a profound bond.”  
  
Cas stared and reread the 4 choices again. “Do you think…?”  
  
Growling, Dean opened his eyes and turned over to read the paragraphs on the page to himself. He read them quickly and Cas watched. Dean huffed. “Go to the damn chapter on the profound bond.”  
  
Thrumming sang in Cas’ ears. That was the only explanation of their immediate intimacy. What they shared was already passed the other ones. “Hold your fucking horses.” He was surprised that his voice came out so even despite that his vocal chords were shaking.  
  
\---  
  
Cas and Dean checked off a few of the ‘wide-range’ of symptoms. It was weird to read about the relationship because Cas was beginning to pick out differences between before the matching and now. One change was that his mind felt bigger. The book said that this may be a symptom of a profound bond because bondmates can have full access to each other’s thoughts and emotions.  
  
Cas bit his lip. He was laying with his head at Dean’s feet and vice versa so they could process it. Dean had flipped around because he wanted to hang his head over the foot of the bed; he claimed that the extra blood helped him to think. Cas wasn’t going to argue.  
  
“That book was really vague.”  
  
Startled, Cas almost kicked Dean in the face. Dean held an arm up to shield himself though.  
  
Resettling and taking deep breaths, Cas asked for clarification, “What do you mean?”  
  
The bed moved. “I mean, it really just says that in a profound bond anything goes.” Dean flopped onto the bed; but, Cas still didn’t look at him. “It also says that it takes years to build.”  
  
Shrugging, Cas sat up and crossed his legs. “Maybe we have been fostering it for years. One of the things is passion, right? Maybe since we passionately hated each other, it started the ball rolling?”  
  
Dean grumbled and pressed his finger into his temples and the heels of his hands into his cheek bones. “Why us? We are two people who didn’t believe in all of this. What does the universe have against us?”  
  
“I don’t know, Dean. I don’t fucking know.”  
  
Silence wrapped around them and Dean sat up but was slouched back on two arms propped behind him. He looked Cas over before hunching forward to press his forehead to Cas’. “You’re worrying.”  
  
Cas shook his head quickly. “No, I’m not.”  
  
“We have a profound bond; I know that you are freaking out.”  
  
Cas sighed. He didn’t want to hear about this. He wanted to fast-backward two days and try it all over again. Try it if he had been matched with a girl and not kicked out and not with some guy that was a beautiful asshat that was still totally out of his league.  
  
“I’m not out of you league, Cas.”  
  
Deflating further, Cas felt completely drained. He felt embarrassed and tired. “Can I just lay down and take a nap?”  
  
Dean shook his head. “I have to tell you how fucking gorgeous you are.”  
  
What? Did Dean just say that with his lips or with his brain? Dean’s mouth spread into a knowing closed-lipped smile; Cas figured that he must have heard it mentally.  
  
“But I’m not.” Cas shook his head. “You and your mother are beautiful; look at you. You have bright green eyes and your skin fucking glistens. I don’t know how we got matched.”  
  
Dean’s hands came up to cup Cas’ face. He tilted Cas’ jaw up to kiss him. “I don’t see any of that. I just see a tall, dark, man with smooth muscle in front of me. He keeps biting his lips and making me notice how pink and plush they are. It makes me want to kiss him again.”  
  
Biting his lip then thinking better of it and biting the inside of his cheek, Cas listened to Dean’s words and only seemed to hear him through honey, viscous and sweet.  
  
Rocking his head on his neck, Dean’s lips connected with Cas’. It was like the night before but without jackets so he was already closer to Dean. Cas rocked forward onto his knees and forced Dean’s head backward when their heights switched. Cas kissed down into Dean and Dean let him.  
  
Cas felt two hands grab his thighs and pull him forward until he was straddling Dean’s hips. Dean’s hands rubbed at Cas’ thighs and ass; they ventured under the hem of his shirt but not rushed or even sexual. It was like Dean was mapping Cas.  
  
Trying to reciprocate but also feeling a red spike in the back of his brain, Cas licked into Dean’s mouth and pulled lightly on the hair at the back of Dean’s neck. Dean groaned.  
  
A knock on the door sounded and Cas let go of Dean’s head in time to turn toward the opening door.  
  
“Lunch is about – oh.” Sam was bright red at the door. “I’m so sorry.” He spluttered as he closed the door.  
  
Cas laughed. “Such a wuss.”  
  
“I know. Maybe with both of us around, he’ll finally man up.”  
  
The allusion to permanence still was new to Cas; but, Dean seemed to be sharing a calm feeling. It was like Dean wanted to make sure that Cas didn’t feel too awkward about it.  
  
Cas smiled down at Dean. “I’m ready.”  
  
Dean grinned. “Good.” He pecked Cas’ lips. “Welcome to your profound bond, Castiel fucking Novak.”  
  
Pursing his lips, Cas responded in kind. “You too, Dean asshat Winchester.” He rubbed his thumbs into Dean’s collar bone through his shirt.  
  
Dean raised an eyebrow but Cas just smiled getting up to go see about lunch.  
  
Cas felt like whatever they shared was worth it. It was going to be ‘awesome’. Cas laughed at the word Dean had provided to his thoughts. He responded in kind by correcting him loudly but still mentally, ‘fucking awesome’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The bonds are loosely based on [Sternberg's Triangle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangular_theory_of_love#mediaviewer/File:Triangular_Theory_of_Love.svg).


	3. Those Assholes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People could be assholes. Dean couldn't believe that Cas and the parts of his family that he met were related to the ones that kicked Cas out. The Novaks that Dean had met seemed to be very accepting if a little proud. Cas still had to meet Dean's dad and Dean still had to meet Cas' favorite brother.  
> Looking at Cas, though, Dean didn't believe he could give Cas up even if something horrible were to go wrong.

Dean would be lying if he didn’t say that all of it was a little bit crazy. He had someone else’s thoughts coming into his head from time to time and someone else’s emotions mingling with his. It was disturbing in many ways. It made him want to close off. It made his feel broken.  
  
He laid in bed that night trying to figure out if he was okay with it. He couldn’t say he was comfortable, at least, not yet; but, he couldn’t change it even if he wanted to.  
  
Dean glanced over at Cas. He was stretched out on Dean’s bed asleep. He had long lashes that were pressed against his tan, semiprominent cheekbones. He was absolutely gorgeous. Dean was lucky in that respect. He couldn’t have gotten someone more aesthetically pleasing as a soulmate.  
  
Scooting down under the covers, Dean nudged his nose into Cas’ arm. Cas shifted. His other hand came up to wrap loosely around Dean’s neck and he tucked his legs up and against Dean.  
  
It was like something from a fucking fairy tale. It was bat shit crazy and absolutely addicting at the same time. Dean took in a deep breath and with it something that could only be called ‘Cas’ wafted into his nose. It called him.  
  
He was reminded of the chapter on the profound bond. It had said that one symptom was an awareness for the other’s pheromones. Dean figured that it meant that they to smell each other really well.  
  
Giving into an urge, Dean kissed Cas’ arm. The arm shifted and pulled Dean’s head to Cas’ chest. It was warm and it smelled even more like Cas so it comforted Dean even further. It lulled his thoughts and replaced them with a calm, warm empty.  
  
Soon he was asleep.  
  
\---  
  
He and Cas had switched sides on the bed for exactly one reason. Dean’s alarm went off and he flicked it off in a controlled manner. He glanced over at Cas who had rolled away from the sound and snuggled further under the covers.  
  
“I’m getting up.”  
  
Some unintelligible mumbling flittered through the air but Dean didn’t bother to pay too much attention. He rolled off the bed and pulled socks on before placing his feet on the cold wood floor. He stretched and rolled his neck before heading to the bathroom.  
  
Dean was usually the only person up in the morning. Mary slept in until later, Sam was a mess in the morning to wake up, and John either got up and out of the house early or slept until noon.  
  
Turning on the water for a shower, Dean hopped in. He scrubbed his scalp and washed himself quickly before stepping out and toweling off. He wrapped the towel around his waist and headed back to his room.  
  
Their room. A voice corrected in his head; he would have wished that it had been Cas being an asshole but really the voice sounded suspiciously like his mother.  
  
He stepped in and got dressed. He had never had body image issues and he sure as hell had never been embarrassed of his size; so, changing with another human being there wasn’t too difficult. It was when he was reminded that the human being might be there forever. Not, like, in the bed for ever but always there, always with him.  
  
It was a lot to swallow. It was also a lot easier to swallow when Cas was awake and sharing his own nervous and happy and confused ideas. It was easier when they were both dealing with it, together. And damn if that didn’t make him sound like a pussy.  
  
Dean reached over and shook Cas. “Hey, you gotta get up. We have to go to school today.”  
  
A groan sounded and Dean put a knee on the bed to get a better grasp of Cas’ covers. He yanked them off of him. He would pull out all of the moves if he had to; after years of getting Sam up in the mornings, Dean knew how to do it.  
  
“Gah!” Cas shot up to grab for the covers but Dean pulled them all the way past the foot of the bed. “Give me back the fucking blanket.”  
  
Chuckling, Dean kissed him on the top of the head. “No. Now get up.”  
  
Cas humphed and sat cross-legged on his side of the bed. He crossed his arms and glared at Dean while he left.  
  
Dean smiled over his shoulder. “I’m making omelets. Get into the bathroom before I wake up Sam. He takes forever with his fucking hair.”  
  
Even though Dean didn’t hear an answer, he felt Cas begin to really wake up. It was like a light flickering on at the back of Dean’s mind. Something just stuck their ‘open for business’ sign up and unlocked the door. It was a little weird. He hadn’t told his mom and Sam would have a field day if he found out; so, he and Cas had decided to keep it to themselves for now.  
  
Pattering down the stairs, Dean was surprised to see a light on in the dining room. He smelled breakfast too. It was alarming; he had been the person to make breakfast and everything for the last 4 years or more. He peaked in to see the paper on the table and laying out like it had been read. Dean gulped.  
  
He walked through the dining room and into the kitchen. He walked up to his mother who, despite dark circles under her eyes, smiled at Dean. “Good morning.”  
  
He pulled out plates. “What are you doing up?” He kept his voice as even as possible.  
  
“Your father’s up.”  
  
“What? Why?” Dean whirled around. He wasn’t sure he was ready for this. On one hand, he just wanted to get it over with; but, on the other hand, he wanted to see if he could live without even telling his dad that his soulmate was male. A dust of fear and anxiety puffed up on his mind and was sucked off somewhere else.  
  
His mother was tending to hash browns and sausage links. “He has to go into the DMV for 8; so, he is up and getting ready.” She moved the hash brown onto a plate lined with paper towels.  
  
Running to set the plates on the table, Dean returned and carefully nudged his mother out of the way so he could take over at the stove. “I’ve got this. How about you drink some coffee?”  
  
Sighing, his mother ran a hand through his hair as a thank you. Her eyes became soft and tired. “You’re such a sweet boy.”  
  
“Don’t say that too loud. I have a reputation to keep in check.” He grinned and reached for the fridge to retrieve the eggs and cheese.  
  
His mother fiddled with the Keurig until the sounds of brewing spluttered through the air. “I don’t think Cas would mind.”  
  
Dean swallowed and cracked two eggs into a bowl. “It’s not Cas that I’m worried about.” Dean’s thoughts flashed to the paper on the table. He really wasn’t sure about any of it.  
  
“Your father will get over himself. You and Sam can be so overdramatic about him.” She removed the mug from the Keurig and opened the fridge for creamer.  
  
Shaking his head, Dean started the first omelet and rolled the sausage links around. “He made me rake the entire lawn just because I wanted to take an art class this year.” Dean remembered the conversation. He had been given an extra elective for his senior year and he had been planning to take an art class. His father had been very calm but also very stern. Dean ended up raking the front and back lawns by himself and unable to go to baseball conditioning that weekend. Sunday night, when Dean came in, his father had been watching the football game with a beer. He had said only one thing to Dean. ‘You’re taking another math class.’  
  
Dean shuddered. He was afraid that his dad was going to see Cas and just ‘No’. “Sam is the dramatic one. I’m just cooking breakfast.” Dean turned and gave an empty laugh.  
  
His mother looked at him, worried eyes shining. She took a sip from her mug.  
  
Dean laid cheese onto the eggs and flipped the first omelet onto a plate. He handed it to his mother. “Here, you can go eat. I’ll just finish up 3 more then come sit with you.” Dean turned back to the oven before his mother could respond.  
  
\---  
  
Dean brought in the other three full plates plus some hash and links for his mom to find that his father was sitting at the table looking over the paper. His mom was still picking at her omelet. Dean placed the plates and headed to the door so he could go and start Sam’s wake up process.  
  
He climbed the stairs two at a time and turned into Sam’s room. Cas was standing there in another pair of Dean’s jeans and a polo that must have been Sam’s because Dean didn’t own any.  
  
Cas crossed his arms. “I wanted to help and get Sam up; but, he is extremely hard to wake up.”  
  
Laughing, Dean nodded. “You have no room to talk.” Dean reached over toward the foot of Sam’s bed. He reached a hand under the cover and grabbed Sam’s foot.  
  
Sam shot up with a yelp. “Cold hands. Cold hands.” He was scrambling trying to pull his foot away.  
  
Dean held fast and pulled until Sam slid off the bed. He leaned forward and with his free hand pushed Sam’s everywhere bangs out of his face. “Get up.”  
  
Having given up on kicking Dean off, Sam batted at Dean’s face. “I don’t wanna.”  
  
“You have to.” Cas offered. “Bathroom’s free.” Cas turned and walked out of the room.  
  
Realizing that Cas was about to go down stairs, Dean rushed out of Sam’s room. “Wait,” he whisper-yelled.  
  
Cas stopped and looked up the stairs at Dean. Written on his face in invisible ink was ‘what the hell is your problem, asshole?’  
  
“My dad’s up.”  
  
Cas’ cocky demeanor changed. His shoulders pulled together in a slight quiver. His eyes became less determined. “Okay.”  
  
Licking his lips, Dean moved to the same stair as Cas. “I just, I wanted to warn you.” He looked over Cas’ face. “Mom says it’ll be fine, but…”  
  
“But, you’re not so sure.” Cas supplied it like it were obvious. Dean wasn’t sure if he liked how easy Cas could read him.  
  
Dean shook his head.  
  
Patting his face lightly, Cas smirked. “Well, let’s get it over with.” Cas turned to continue down the steps but Dean caught his arm and held it.  
  
“Let me go first?”  
  
Cas nodded. He swept his hands in a gesture for Dean to pass him.  
  
Leading his way down the stair with quiet feet, Dean stopped at the door to the dining room. He waited. His mother and father were talking.  
  
“Why is there another chair at the table? It’s a simple question.”  
  
“I think it would be better if you wait to ask it is all.”  
  
“Why? If something is going on around here, I want to know. Just because I’m at the garage doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t know about these things.”  
  
“Dear, it’s nothing bad; but, it was pretty sudden.”  
  
Dean had heard enough. He just wanted to go in and get it over with; but, his legs wouldn’t move. He was fucking terrified. What if Dad kicked Cas out? What if he kicked Dean out too? What if-?  
  
Cas pushed Dean into the room and followed. Cas took the same seat he had been taking the past few meals. Dean was surprised that his wobbly legs got him to his spot next to his father.  
  
John looked up to Cas. “Who are you, son?” He rolled the cuffs of his coveralls and his head still sported his bedhead.  
  
Cas stabbed a sausage link and brought it to his mouth. Before the sausage made it in, he said, “I’m Castiel.”  
  
Leg bouncing under the table, Dean fought the urge to run. “He’s staying with us.” Dean stabbed at his food but didn’t lift anything up to his mouth. “He’s uh, we’re…”  
  
John took a swig from his glass. “Just spit it out.”  
  
Dean was equal parts scared and fearful; somewhere behind them frustration lay. “He’s my soulmate.”  
  
The air intensified. Each intake felt like it dragged in Dean’s throat. He didn’t look up at his father. He didn’t want to see his face; see his anger.  
  
“You’re soulmate is a girl, Dean; I’m sure we’ll find her someday.” John’s voice was calm while he cut his omelet with the side of his fork.  
  
Swallowing loudly, Dean’s leg stopped bouncing. He chanced a glance at his mother. She was glaring at John. Cas stabbed another sausage on his plate with more force than the last. Dean could feel Cas’ anger at the back of his mind. He could feel that Cas was upset and biting his tongue.  
  
Dean stood. “Dad, Cas is my soulmate.” Dean balled his hands into fists at his sides. He wasn’t used to talking back to his father; but, if he was going to talk back to him for some reason, it might as well be because his father wasn’t acknowledging Dean’s soulmate.  
  
“I’m sure we’ll find the girl, Dean. No need to worry.”  
  
How could his father just ignore this? How could he insult the matching process? How could he insult Cas? Feeling anger bubble up past the fear, Dean grit his teeth. “My soulmate isn’t a girl and you’re insulting him.”  
  
Dean felt Cas’ gaze turn to him. John ignored him. Dean grabbed his own plate and walked to the kitchen. Cas was close behind him carrying his own.  
  
Biting his lip and scowling, Dean turned on the stove and pulled a tortilla out of the fridge. He made up Sam’s omelet and wrapped it in the tortilla while he finished his plate of food. He worked silently.  
  
Cas leaned against the opposite counter and hurried along with eating his own breakfast.  
  
‘Do you want me to go get, Sam?’ Cas thought it to Dean. Dean found it unnerving for it to be dead silent and not-dead-silent at the same time. ‘I mean, we need him before we can leave, right?’ There was a moment pause. ‘Oh, shit! I don’t have any of my school stuff. Dear lord, let Anna be an amazing sister.’  
  
Dean turned, having wrapped the breakfast burrito in tinfoil. ‘Do you want to call her?’  
  
The clock was the loudest thing in the room. It read 6:32.  
  
Shaking his head, Cas placed his then empty dish in the sink. ‘Nah, one day won’t kill me anyway.’  
  
Dean smiled. ‘Am I a bad influence?’  
  
‘No, I’m just not willing to care what other people think anymore.’ Cas pointed his look through the archway to John. He and Mary were having a conversation about the DMV.  
  
Sam almost tumbled down the stairs and into the dining room. He looked around confused until he caught Dean’s eye in the kitchen. Dean nodded his head toward the door to tell Sam that they were leaving.  
  
Waving to his parents, Sam gave a shaky smile. “Have a good day. See you later.” He shuffled quickly into the kitchen and took the tinfoil wrapped breakfast.  
  
Cas moved to the door first, putting on one of Dean’s jackets. Dean followed putting on his newest one and Sam bundled up in a bright red, marshmallow-looking monstrosity. The screen door snapped shut after them.  
  
\---  
  
“What happened though?” Sam was sitting in the back even after his protests that he was the brother and ‘totally deserve to be shotgun’.  
  
Cas glared at the dashboard. “Your father was an ass.”  
  
Dean paid attention to the road. It wasn’t worth his time to worry until he was safely in a parking space. A part of him he hadn’t known he had told him to keep his soulmate safe and that meant driving calmly and with caution. It was an annoying part of him. Dean watched Sam closely in the mirror despite the little voice.  
  
Sam sat back into the seat. “He’s like that. He told me that I would never been in a play because that wasn’t something men did.” Sam shrugged. He turned and huffed at the window. “He also said that I couldn’t do horseback-riding because it was for girls and that I shouldn’t drink tea because it makes me a pansy.”  
  
“I like tea.” Cas said it in a small voice mostly to his clasped hands.  
  
Dean’s heart melted and he felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. “I’m sorry, Cas.”  
  
One of Cas’ hands reached over to Dean’s arm and held it. “It’s not your fault. It wasn’t nearly as bad as what my parents said when they kicked me out.”  
  
Sam gasped. “What?” His face had dawned the kicked-puppy look. “I don’t like this. Why is it so hard? Soulmates are supposed to be amazing and perfect and it’s just wrong that you guys aren’t happy.” He sounded like he was almost in tears.  
  
Dean bit down on the coming ‘wuss’. It was true. This is all the shit he hadn’t wanted to have to deal with. It was so much simpler before; not that he would give Cas up, that was out of the cards at this point.  
  
Dean pulled into his usual parking space in the school parking lot. They were really early and only the some of the teachers’ cars were there before them. “So, uh, how is this going to work?”  
  
Swiveling in his seat, Cas looked at Dean. “How do you want it to work?”  
  
Sam popped his head up in between the seats. “Do I really need to be here for this conversation?”  
  
Dean flicked his gaze to Sam. “If you want to leave, be my guest; but, the school’s still closed and it’s cold out there.”  
  
Growling, Sam jumped back into the seat and crossed his arms. “You’re such a bully.”  
  
Raising an endearing hand to Dean’s face, Cas donned a mocking smile. “Yes, but he’s my bully.”  
  
Dean rolled his eyes. Cas laughed.  
  
\---  
  
Somewhere between Sam’s grumbling and Dean’s annoyance they came to an agreement that they wouldn’t hide it but they wouldn’t be too overt.  
  
They held hands in the hallways. They sat together during their first class. They still yelled at each other in English because “In Cold Blood is an account of factual events and should be treated as such, you asshole” and “It literally says that it is a non-fiction novel. There is no way to write a 100% factual novel; novelization means that things will be twisted and altered”.  
  
Jo slid into the spot next to Dean at the lunch table. “So, you and Castiel fucking Novak have a thing.” She took a bite of her bread roll. “The Monday after the matching.” She swallowed and elbowed Dean. “After you both freaked out after finding out who your match was.”  
  
Scanning the room for Cas, Dean scowled. “Yeah, and?”  
  
Face splitting into a shit-eating grin, Jo leaned in closer. “I knew you had a thing for him.”  
  
“What?!?” Dean turned to Jo in shock.  
  
She nodded. “Yeah, I told mum that you two were at each other’s throats all the time and she thought it was hilarious.” Jo winked. “She said that, sooner or later, you two would probably be at each other in bed, too.”  
  
Dean shuddered. “It’s bad enough that you’re saying it; but, now I’m going to have an image of your mother thinking about Cas’ and my sex life.” Dean pushed his tray of food away. “I can’t eat anymore.”  
  
Jo laughed. “Buck up. You’ll get over it.”  
  
Searching for Cas again, Dean found him at the door with three bags talking to Anna. Dean began to stand up from the table but was stopped by Cas’ voice. ‘Don’t worry about it; I’ll put it in my locker then be back. I was starting to feel sick; were you?’  
  
Having Cas in his head was still slightly jarring. ‘Not really, but I don’t want to start.’  
  
Cas smiled at Anna and turned toward the door to the hallway. ‘Pansy.’  
  
Dean rolled his eyes. He turned back to Jo to see her staring wither mouth agape. There was half chewed food on her tongue and she wasn’t blinking as fast and Dean supposed she should have been. “What?”  
  
Snapping her mouth shut, Jo leaned over to whisper, “Did you just talk to Cas using your bond?”  
  
“Yeah, what of it?” Dean chanced a glance at his food but found his stomach still churning from the mention of Mrs. Singer’s interest in his sex life. Dean mildly wondered if it was also because it had been since that morning that he had been near Cas.  
  
Jo reached out and grabbed Dean’s face to turn it to look at her. “That takes years to develop.”  
  
Shrugging, Dean tried to speak but Jo’s grip made everything more garbled than it was supposed to be. She let go a little but still held his head in place to look at her. He tried again. “We think that it started back when we met. According some book my mom pulled out, one of the factors to a bond is passion and Cas and I had plenty of that. It may have been used for something other than intimacy or friendship but it was there.”  
  
Letting go, Jo slouched back away from Dean. “Look at you sounding so smart.” She turned back to her tray. “And reading a book, too.”  
  
Dean scooted uncomfortably. “Hey, I have a question.”  
  
“What is it?” Jo scooped some spaghetti to her mouth and looked to Dean, expecting.  
  
“I just, uh, do you think I’m smart?” He knew it sounded stupid.  
  
Jo glared at him. “What kind of question is that? You’re third in our class; of course you’re smart.”  
  
“No, I mean, like before I met Cas. Do you think I was smart in, I don’t know, 6th grade?” Dean looked at her hoping that she would help him out.  
  
Shaking her head, Jo swallowed. “I don’t remember back that far. How should I know? You’ve always been curious about shit. Remember that time that you decided to take apart the lawnmower. Bobby and your dad were furious and even they couldn’t put it back together. They had to go get you so that you could put the thing together then send you back to your room.” Her eyes were wistfully elsewhere.  
  
Dean shrugged. “But does that make me smart?”  
  
Jo had just put another forkful of spaghetti into her mouth when Cas slid into the seat across from Dean. Some of Dean’s uneasiness ebbed away; maybe it had been from his separation from Cas. “Hello, Dean.” He glanced at Jo. “Jo.”  
  
Raising her hands in surrender, Jo chewed then swallowed. “I don’t have the beef with you; he did. If he’s cool, then I am.”  
  
Dean praised himself for his choice of friend. “Was that your stuff?”  
  
Smiling, Cas propped his elbows on the table and set his head into his hands. “Yeah, the important stuff anyway. She doesn’t think that I’ll get my model cars, though.” Cas’ smile faltered. “I’ll figure it out.”  
  
Guilt fluttered back into Dean’s chest. He glared at the table.  
  
“So, your parents kicked you out? Why?” Jo had started on her green beans.  
  
Cas turned to her. “Because they’re religious assholes.” He said it utterly calm and Dean took pride in the mixture of shock and confusion that flitted behind Jo’s eyes. “Anna brought me a lot of my clothes and nick-nacks. I’m not quite sure where I’ll put them.”  
  
Dean swallowed. “We’ll put them in the impala for now. We’ll figure this out.”  
  
Jo looked confused. “Figure what out?”  
  
Dean didn’t know how to explain, luckily he didn’t have to because Cas did for him. “You know how my parents are religious assholes; well, John Winchester is a self-righteous asshole.”  
  
“Oh my god. Did he kick you out? You can stay with us if you want. My mom has been practically shipping you two.” Jo was sincere and Dean loved her for it; but, Dean sincerely hoped that it wouldn't come to that.  
  
“Thank you for the offer.” Cas smiled. “We appreciate it.” He turned to Dean and smiled. Dean didn’t know why it helped; it was just two people who didn’t know what they were doing smiling at each other. It helped, though, and that was what mattered.  
  
\---  
  
Dean helped Cas put his things in the trunk of the impala at the end of the day. Jo waved and rand over to them. “If you need an escape, our door is always open.” She smiled. “Mom and Bobby understand what it’s like to not have a conventional soul match.” She hurried away and toward her bus.  
  
Cas turned to Dean in confusion and Dean hastened to explain. “Bobby’s wife died a few years after they were married; I don’t know how and I don’t ask. When he filed the paperwork with the state, they gave him the mirror again. He was given a new match. He didn’t tell anyone though.”  
  
Nodding along, Cas pushed on the last bag so that it fit in Dean’s trunk along with all the CDs and books he kept there. They closed the hatch and moved to their respective doors. Sam had mathlete practice, whatever that entailed; and Dean had decided to skip baseball practice.  
  
The impala was blocked in by the buses; but it would be warmer inside the car than not. Dean continued once they were settled. “My dad, Bobby and Ellen have been friends forever. Dad and Bobby were in the service together with Ellen’s late match; this was after Bobby’s wife died.” Dean took a deep breath. “Ellen’s match never came back from the battlefield.”  
  
He shot his eyes to Cas. Cas’ lips parted in empathic remorse. After a moment, he nodded for Dean to continue.  
  
“Dad and Bobby had been at our house when Ellen came back from the state office where she got to look in the mirror again. She had been given a new soulmate, Bobby.” Dean smiled. “I remember it. It was kind of funny. She came into the house hooting and hollering about how Bobby should have told her that her match was going to die. She was pissed.”  
  
“She had every right to be.” Cas interjected. “It would have saved her the pain.”  
  
“Would it?” Dean clenched then unclenched his jaw. “I don’t think it would have. It would have only made her worry.” Cas thought about it and so did Dean. Dean plowed onward. “She and Bobby had a lot of baggage to get over. Ellen already had a daughter. Bobby had never really had a good father figure himself.” Dean reached over and grabbed Cas’ hand. “It worked out though.”  
  
Cas nodded. “That’s good.” They shared a long moment.  
  
Since the buses had pulled out, Dean started up the impala and put her into reverse. It was then that he realized that he didn’t know where they were going. ‘Uh, so what are we doing?”  
  
Cas shrugged.  
  
Sighing, Dean shifted into park again. “Your pick. Where do you want to go?”  
  
Pursing his lips, Cas’ face contorted in focused thought. “You wanted to meet my brother, right?”  
  
“Well, yeah.”  
  
Smiling, Cas turned to Dean. “Then let’s head that way. No one will kick us out of a gay strip club.”  
  
Dean rolled his eyes and got ready to back up again. “With our luck they just might.”  
  
Rolling his eyes in return, Cas smacked Dean. “Just for that, I’ll take us the long way so that it uses more gas.”  
  
\---  
  
Once Dean realized that they had gone in an elaborate circle, he had pulled to the side of the road and pouted for a few minutes making the commute even longer.  
  
“I am not pouting.” He crossed his arms over his chest.  
  
Cas responded by laughing. “You are. Now, stop being a baby and let’s go.”  
  
Glaring at his passenger, Dean narrowed his eyes and turned the key in the ignition again. He pulled back out onto the street. He mumbled, “’M not being a baby.”  
  
Rolling his eyes, Cas directed him to turn down the next street and pull into a small parking lot. “This is the back. There’s a huge neon thing that’s out front and a huge parking lot.”  
  
Dean nodded and looked at the building. It was the back of the building so it had pipes and unfinished brick. It looked like a place someone would go to kill someone in the movies. “You’re not here to kill me, right?”  
  
Getting out of the car, Cas shook his head in no particular direction. “If I was going to kill you, I would have done it by now.”  
  
It was almost comforting the way Cas said it. It was pretty weird too. Cas walked up to a door with peeling paint and Dean rushed to follow; just because Cas wasn’t going to kill him didn’t mean something else wouldn’t. Cas knocked on the door and it was pushed open by a drag queen. She had long red hair and was wearing a sequined skirt.  
  
Cas smiled. “Hello, Ariel.”  
  
The drag queen smiled. “Hello, Castiel. It’s so good to see you and you brought a darling piece of meat with you.” She turned to Dean. “Hello, I’m Ariel.” She fixed her wig and smiled with neon white teeth.  
  
Smiling politely, Dean swallowed and fisted a hand in the shirt material at the small of Cas’ back. “Hi, I’m Dean. It’s a pleasure to meet you. You look absolutely stunning.” He knew how to be charming.  
  
“We’re here to see my brother.”  
  
Ariel led the way into the club. It was extravagant, using various colors and lots of shine. There was glitter on the floor but it didn’t stick to Dean’s boots so he figured it must just have been how the floor was made. He pulled his jacket around him tighter. He was used to going to bars and stuff with his dad or Bobby; but, never had he been in a gay club.  
  
Speaking over her shoulder, Ariel made small talk. “You’re brother has been so worried. You were supposed to call, I guess.”  
  
Dean didn’t do small talk.  
  
“Yeah. I was but things have been a bit all over the place.” Cas waved a hand around. He seemed so out of place yet like he belonged it was weird. Cas was completely calm in the setting; but, he also seemed to just wave off the gaudy décor and act like it was just some grocery store or something.  
  
The hallway opened up into a large entertainment area. There were small circular stages and one large stage that ventured into a catwalk. Some poles were placed for pole dancing and Dean briefly remembered when he had experimented with one of those.  
  
He had been with a girl, Rhonda. They hadn’t done anything too much. She had been a lot of fun though. She put him in pink panties one time; that had been interesting. Another time, she had showed him that they had an in-home gym and there was a pole for pole dancing. She had jokingly dared him to try it. Dean never passes up a dare.  
  
They neared the bar and Cas took a seat. Dean followed suit letting go of Cas’ shirt in the process. He licked his lips and sniffed, trying to gain some composure.  
  
“Cassie!”  
  
The yell startled Dean and he had to start over on pulling himself together.  
  
“Hello, Gabe.” Cas swiveled around to face away from the bar. “How are you? How’s Balth?”  
  
Turning to see, Dean watched Cas hug the man, Gabriel. Gabriel was shorter than Dean would have guessed since both Anna and Cas were taller than him. He had bronze hair and a soft face.  
  
Gabe leaned forward in an aside. “Don’t tell Balth, but I think he’s put on some weight. I love him but he needs to lay off the pastries.”  
  
“Oh, you’re one to talk. You practically live off of candy and sweets.” Cas teased.  
  
Raising a finger to tick back in forth, Gabe smiled. “But have I put on any weight?”  
  
Cas reached out and poked his brother in the chest. “That’s not the point; you’ll get diabetes.”  
  
“Last time the doctor checked, I was fine.” Gabe stood up straight and stuck his nose in the air. It reminded Dean of Cas and Anna; it must have been genetic to the Novaks.  
  
Grabbing Dean’s arm, Cas grinned and pushed his lips together in excitement before saying, “Gabe, this is Dean, Dean Gabe.” Cas almost pushed Dean forward off of the stool to take Gabe’s handshake.  
  
“Dean? As in Dean asshat Winchester?” Gabe’s hand was soft, softer than Cas’ and Dean wasn’t sure if he liked it or not. It was like he used lotion more than the average person. Dean shuddered a little.  
  
Nodding, Cas stepped off of his stool and bounced happily in place.  
  
Dean filled the silence. “The one and only.” Dean retracted his hand and clasped it with the other in his lap. Usually, Dean was very outgoing; but, he usually wasn’t meeting his soulmate’s favorite brother in his gay strip club a few hours after his dad refused to acknowledge his same-sex soul match. He didn’t want to screw this up.  
  
“So, Deano, what brings you to my fine establishment? Are you looking for a job?” Gabriel smirked. Dean was beginning to get the feeling that Gabe was the kind of person that would tie your shoes together in preschool.  
  
Before Dean could stop himself, he came back with a cocky response. “Yes, please. I hear that you need to liven this place up a bit; I’d be happy to help.” Dean bit down on his tongue.  
  
There was a beat of silence before Gabe burst out laughing. “You’re funny.” He pointed to him and scuttled around the bar. “You want a drink? Rum and coke? Shots?”  
  
“Gabriel!” Cas scolded. “Don’t make my soulmate into delinquent.” Cas huffed and took a straw out of a container on the bar top. Gabe had frozen; but, Cas didn’t seem to notice. “I’ll take a sprite, if you have one.”  
  
Gabe’s face took on a sour note. He reached under the bar and slid a sprite to Cas. He looked to Dean with a questioning stare.  
  
“Same for me as long as I can’t get a shot a whiskey.”  
  
Smiling but not as brightly as before, Gabe pulled out another sprite and slid it to Dean. Dean was happy to have something to do with his hands. The can was cool to the touch and calmed him.  
  
“Soulmate, huh?” Gabe leaned on the bar feigning nonchalance. “How’s that going?”  
  
Cas was mid sip of sprite so Dean supplied an answer. “Pretty shitty, actually.”  
  
“My brother not good enough for you?” Gabe looked insulted and his voice had a hint of barely contained anger. It skid through his gritted teeth rough and uncensored.  
  
Scared that Gabe may hurt him, Dean rushed on. “No, quite the opposite. It’s just same-sex matches are rare at best and…” Dean shook his head and stared down at his unopened drink.  
  
Swallowing, Cas supplied an explanation worthy of their match. “Parents can be such asses.”  
  
Gabe’s fury receded and his expression became concerned. “Mom and Dad kick you out?”  
  
Nodding, Cas fiddled with the tab on his lid.  
  
“His, too?” Gabe pointed to Dean with his thumb.  
  
“Actually-” The tab on Cas’ soda can snapped off and startled him. He shook his head briefly before continuing. Dean found it utterly endearing. “His mom is really nice; but, his dad makes up for it.”  
  
Finally opening his own drink, Dean tried to drown his guilt and embarrassment with sprite. It didn’t work. It only made him need to burp. Not sure if it was considered rude in the Novak household to burp, Dean tried to hold it. Cas seemed to come from a well off family; their house was like 3 stories tall and had columns on either side of the front door. Dean’s eyes started to water and he couldn’t hold it anymore.  
  
He gave a loud belch. His hand snapped over his mouth and he looked between Cas and Gabe afraid of their judgment.  
  
“Nice one!” Gabe grinned honestly, nodding his head in a sort of proud approval.  
  
Dean let out the breath he had held onto. “Thanks.” He grinned. He was glad that Gabe was so laid back; it made him wonder how the three Novaks he had met turned out so much better than the ones he hadn’t.  
  
“Hey, Ariel?” Gabe called toward the door that led behind the stage, where he and Cas had emerged from earlier. “Ariel? Goddamnit. Hael?!?”  
  
Clicking sounded from the hallway and another drag queen poked her head out. She had long brown hair and was wearing a kimono-like robe. She tilted her head to the side in a silent question.  
  
Gabe gave a sickeningly sweet smile. “Could you take Cassie here and keep him busy while I talk to Dean?” Gabe clapped a hand onto Dean’s shoulder.  
  
Hael nodded and waved Cas over. She smiled and led the way down the hallway.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Dean took another long swig of his sprite. ‘Don’t worry.’ Cas’ voice in his head startled him; but, it also made him feel less uneasy about the whole thing.  
  
Gabe rounded the end of the bar and sat on the stool that Cas had vacated. “So, what are your plans?”  
  
“Plans?” Dean bracketed his elbow on the bar and his head on his hand. He twisted his body so that his legs swung a little as the stool spun back and forth. He may have been a little nervous.  
  
Gabe waved a hand around. “Like, what do you want to do when you grow up? What’s your plan for college?” He shrugged. “Plans.”  
  
“Oh, uh…” Dean looked around the room again trying to collect his thoughts. “I don’t really plan to go to college. Sam, uh, my little brother, has always been the smart one. I think I’ve got a job lined up at the garage. They’ll pay for my certifications and shit. I’ve worked there for the past few summers and they seem to like me enough.”  
  
Gabe crossed his legs at the knees. His gold-colored converse caught the light and flashed a little at Dean. Dean winced and squinted his eyes. Gabe rubbed his hands on his dark wash jeans. “You seem smart; whenever Cas talks about you it has always been that you’ve unraveled his entire argument. I don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit.”  
  
Huffing, the fear or uncertainty from earlier returned. Dean pulled his face together in a scowl. “You don’t even know me.”  
  
“I know. But, Cas has spoken about you so much that I feel like I do.” He reached over the counter and pulled a lollipop from a brandy glass. “So, mechanic?” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “You’re good with your hands then.”  
  
Dean turned bright red. He felt the heat in his cheeks and his chest. He sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and bit down. He shook his head.  
  
Gabe laughed, leaning back with the force of it. “I’m only joking with you, Deano. You seem like a good kid.” He hopped off of the stool and unwrapped the lollipop. He put the sucker in his mouth and waved for Dean to follow him. “This way. Let’s go see what Hael has done with Cassie.”  
  
\---  
  
The third or fourth dressing room door opened to reveal Hael with her hair thrown up into a messy bun. She was holding a make-up palette and she was wearing her stage make-up. “Oh. Sorry, did you call?”  
  
Gabe pulled the sucker from his mouth. “Nah, came looking instead.” He walked into the dressing room and ran a hand through a rack of costumes; there was one on either side of the door. “Balth should be arriving soon to open up; I need to get ready myself.”  
  
Dean licked his lips and stepped further into the room. While he knew it wasn’t what Sam would have had as an actor in a school play or anything, Dean could see Sam walking into there and having a field day with the bright lights and the mirrors. It would be hard to get him to leave. Dean chuckled lightly.  
  
He stepped around one of the racks of clothing. He looked around the end to see Cas looking in another mirror in the L-shaped room. Cas swiveled around to show Dean that Hael had put make-up on his face too.  
  
Dean sucked in a breath. He wasn’t sure what Hael had done exactly but Cas’ cheekbones were even more prominent and his lips shined. Cas smiled. “How do I look?”  
  
At a loss for words, Dean just stared. He swallowed and just nodded.  
  
“I think what Dean is trying to say is that you look like you belong in my show.” Gabe smirked and patted Dean on the shoulder. “Close your mouth; you look like you’ve never see a pretty boy before.”  
  
“I haven’t, not like him.” Breathily, Dean added.  
  
“Nonsense!” Smiling and shaking his head like the idea was preposterous, Gabe looked incredulous. “Have you never seen a mirror? Cheekbones like yours could bring in a crowd on a Tuesday afternoon.” Gabe brought a hand up tot Dean’s face and brushed a thumb over his cheekbone.  
  
Dean blushed and stepped back out of his reach.  
  
Hael stepped forward. Her skirt shifted around her gracefully and the light hit it and made it shimmer like it was rippling water. “Can I do you up, too?”  
  
“Uh, yeah, we have-” Dean glanced at the clock and deflated a little. “to go,” he added sadly. Suddenly, the reality hit him that he had been about to let a drag queen who worked for his same-sex soulmate’s flaming, homosexual hot-head of a brother make-up his face like a drag queen. Dean swallowed; what would his dad think?  
  
‘Fuck him.’  
  
Dean looked over to Cas. ‘But, he’s my dad.’  
  
‘Do what you want, Dean. Don’t let other people tell you.’  
  
Setting his jaw, Dean spoke aloud. “But, we do have to go. Better to face it now than later.” Better when he’s sober.  
  
Cas nodded. “Let me just wash this off, then we’ll go.” Cas hopped up and began to walk away. Dean couldn’t sense anything upsetting him; he really did just let thing bounce off of him. Dean wished he could do that too.  
  
Dean grabbed his arm and spun him around to kiss him. Cas was surprised but his lips pushed back and responded in kind. Cas pulled away and moved to the door again; this time more wistfully.  
  
Gabe gave out a loud catcall.  
  
Hael leaned forward over Dean’s shoulder. Dean wasn’t sure when they moved around but Dean was closer to the door than he had been before. Dean didn’t remember Hael being that much taller than him either; he glanced down to see that she had dawned a pair of black platforms. “I get to do your face up next time, then?”  
  
Nodding, Dean turned to her and Gabe. Letting Cas’ words be his guide, Dean smiled. “Totally. Promise.”  
  
Gabe’s face split into a grin. “You’re halfway there already.”  
  
Turning to the mirror, Dean noticed that some of the stuff that made Cas’ lips shiny had rubbed off on his own. He looked for a long moment before raising his arm to wipe it on his sleeve.  
  
Cas returned and grabbed Dean’s hand. He led the way back to the impala. Dean waved at Gabe and Ariel where they had come to the door to send them off; Hael had stayed behind to finish getting ready. Behind Ariel’s red hair, another man joined them. He was tall and had blonde hair; he waved, too.  
  
“Who was that?” Dean asked backing out.  
  
Cas was waving out the other window. “That’s Balthazar.” Once they were out of sight, Cas turned back to Dean. His posture turned shy. “So, did you like them?”  
  
Making Cas uncomfortable was not something Dean wanted to do. He reached across the center console and grabbed Cas’ hand. “They were amazing, Cas. Just like you.” Cas smiled and Dean returned his eyes to the road. “I wish my family had all been that welcoming.” Dean just hoped his mom has curbed his dad’s opinion by then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to comment. Comments make my day; like, you have no idea.
> 
> I am making this a four shot, as you can tell by the chapter #; but, I already have 5 timestamps planned. That is why I have created the series, 'Something Profound'. Just letting you know what my plans are.


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